The 100 Prequel: Becca's Tale - Book Three - The Azgedian
by AnotherSciFiWriter
Summary: Story continues after book two. The first conclave of grounder is taking place. Only three person had joined, but it was a fiercely deadly fight nonetheless. * Azgedians will make their debut in this book, and we will see who they really are. The Queen of Azgeda, along with her second, will be a formidable force to be reckoned with. * Ark people are going crazy with food shortages.
1. Chapter 1 - The Conclave - Part 1

Author Note: Hi, my awesome readers, thank you for taking an interest in this new book! Originally I hesitated to write it, because I knew the content would be too strong even for me, but then everyday I would think of a little bit more about the story, then another. Those pieces had accumulated so much to a point that it was better for me to just write them down.

Warning ahead, this book contains strong violence, sexual suggestive scenes, and cannibal scenarios. You might find some chapters uncomfortable to read.

Also, thought the book is named "The Azgedian", they won't show up until several chapters later.

Book three took place two months after book two. You don't need to read through those two books. I tried to put as much background info as necessary in the beginning.

P.S. This is a book now is in "revision" stage.

 **Summary of the book:**  
This is the third part of the legend about Becca, the Savior.  
The city she built was in a serious crisis, again. This time was from an ancient race of people called Azgedian. Led by an over-ambitious queen, Azgedian invaded Canada east coast and headed down to the newly founded city.  
Joe Whitman, the special force elite, "accidentally" inherited Becca's spirit, and reluctantly became the third Commander of Polis. He had to defend the city from the vicious threat of Azgedian by any means possible. Fortunately for all, Becca's spirit was well alive in his brain and helped him greatly along his journey. However, there was also a dark soul called Helen resided in his brain at the same time. Whitman would often see her grim memories in his dreams. When time passed by, he gradually understood how she became so dark.  
At the mean time, the Ark, AKA the giant ring in the space, was undergoing an egregious social turmoil which would affect their people generations later. With less and less food, their rules became more and more oppressive. People started to rebel. One of them was Chloe Wu, a good girl turned bad. She did everything she could to rescue her star-crossing lover, Mark Trudeau. In the end, she and Mark were sent to the Earth, along with 98 other criminals.  
Don't want to say more spoilers in this summary. There are four intertwining story lines in this book, the longest I ever written. Will the Queen found her salvation in Polis? Will Becca, Whitman and Ethan defeat the Azgedian warriors against the overwhelming odds? Will Mark be able to take his revenge for Canadian people? I hope we will go through this amazing journey together to reveal the darkest and deepest human natures, the shocking things they had to do in order to survive, and I hope in the end we can still celebrate the precious peace that some heroes sacrificed everything for.

===#=#=#=#=#===

According to official history books, in 2052, a full-scale nuclear war broke out between China and U.S.A. ( For details, see Book 1 ) 6.5 billion people perished that day. After it, the heightened level of radiation gradually killed another 90% of the remained population. The Earth hit a huge reset button, pushing human species to the brim of extinction.

For years, nuclear winter ravaged the continent of North America. Darkness and death permeated every inch of the land. The "lucky" people who survived had to face the relentless cold, the invisible lethal radiation, the unforgiving hunger, and worst of all, the threat from their own: while most were starving and famished, some of them became predatory cannibals.

That's the grim fate fell upon the once proud "Capital of the World", New Metro. 80 million people was mostly terminated by a nuclear bomb dropped in the Financial District. Only about twenty thousand people survived the horrible event, but then they were dropping liked flies. Besides the usual dangers of radiation, hunger, coldness, disease, and violence, there were a couple hundred Second Dawn cult members hunting people for their meat.

After 2 years of unimaginable difficulties of living in the city, there were only about a few hundred people remained in the New Metro. They remembered very well that Oct. 1st, 2054 was the day their Savior, Becca, came from the sky in an escape pod. In a few short months, she led people eliminated the cannibals entrenched in a tower, then saved around one thousand people from the threat of radiation. The ones she saved started to worship her and gave the city a new name "Polis" for the letters on her escape pod.

Becca's radiation treatment didn't have any discrimination against anyone, even her own mortal enemy, Bill Cadogan, the Second Dawn cult leader who later burnt her in the center square.

Different groups of people were united to avenge her. Just two months ago, all one thousand Polis citizens, combined force with elite soldiers from Mount Weather, stormed the Mega Tower, and killed all the Second Dawn cult members, including their leader Bill Cadogan.

It was a battle no one would easily forget, as one of Becca's followers described his own experience about the fight.

"Yeah, I was following that crazy girl, Helen. God damn! She's very good at cutting those Second Dawn bastards down. I myself didn't do much of the killing. Once she slashed one open. I would come up and give him a quick death. Putting a knife in his throat or his heart, you know, mercy killing."

Another follower on the side argued, "That crazy girl would have been dead, if not those Mount Weather men killed those Second Dawn guards with sniper rifles first. She's good but she ain't gonna dodge bullets."

The first one agreed, "Yup, she ain't a Goddess like Becca. Now she wants us to bend our knee to her? No fucking way! We all see how demented she is. She belongs to Arkham Asylum, if it really exists."

The second one nodded, "Right here with you, bro. She says she's the one who killed that Cadogan guy, so what? Any one of us would have done that. That doesn't make her our leader. I will rather follow 'Stinky'."

"Yeah, Bryan is a good man. He's always straight with us. His wife might be a bitch but she ain't that bad."

"Excuse us but we gotta go." the follower said. "We have a stage to build."

When asking about the purpose of the stage, he was surprised. "You still don't know? Tomorrow we will have the first conclave of us grounders. Bryan will kill that crazy girl and become the next commander." With that said both left.

...

The City of Polis still had a stadium, or more precisely, half of a stadium. Three years ago, the nuclear blast in the financial district pushed all its west side down, leaving the east side mostly intact. It had stayed empty until the Polisians poured in and started building a heighten stage. Its size was 50 by 50 feet, like the way we had for a music concert. Nicole Hawk was the one giving out orders. Her family had lots of construction experience.

At the meantime, she went up each level of the stadium in search of something. What was she looking for? No one knew.

People worked hard under her direction, yet they couldn't help talking to each other about the battle happened two months before. Everyone could still feel the heat and adrenaline during that fight. They could still remember how every muscle was pumped, every hair of the body erected, simply by roaring "FOR BECCA" with others. Together, they avenged their Savior with an overwhelming victory. To some, that battle gave them way more pleasure than sex.

Soon they were going to witness a different fight. A fight to the death nonetheless. They were equally excited about it.

===#=#=#=#=#===

The morning sun still hid behind layers of dark clouds, and the stage was already surrounded by a thousand people. Every citizen of Polis who could move was there.

An announcer started to test the microphone, "Ladies and Gentlemen. Welcome to the Franco Stadium! Today, we will present you..."

He stopped his exaggerating voice and asked the people around, "Am I doing OK? Do you hear me well?"

They showed their thumbs, "Good! Keep going."

He had a little embarrassed smile, "Thank you everyone! I used to fancy myself hosting a wrestling event, and today it's kinda come true."

Then he switched his voice back to his imaginary wrestling host's, "Today, we will present you the first ever Grounder's Conclave! Introducing first in the right corner: the challenger, Weighted 203 pounds, he is the leader of the DC tribe, a master spearman, who used to hunt black panthers. Let's welcome Bryaaaaaaannnn Hawk, the 'Stinky'!"

Thundering cheers filled up the whole half stadium.

A man around 25-year-old jumped up to the stage and waved at the audience. People stomped the ground like in a rock concert.

"Now here comes our second Commander. Weighted 130 pounds, all muscle and no fat, she's only 15, but deadly as hell. Right now she's carrying the very Bushido Blade Becca had used. That blade had cut down many Second Dawn thugs two months ago. Let's welcome Heleeeeeennnn Graham, the 'Crazy Girl'!"

"What did you just call me?" Helen lashed out at him.

The announcer was trembling, "Oops… Sorry... my commander! I am a little... uh... over my head." He quickly apologized, "People, let's give her a round of applause, please."

No one did that. They stared at her with contempt. The stadium quieted down.

"You all think I am crazy?" Helen took the microphone and spoke in a hard cold voice, "Well, it's true. I am crazy enough to give you a chance to kill me. You don't like me? Come on you cowards. I am right here."

"BOO…" People started to express their scorning. Some even shouted, "DIE YOU BITCH!"

However, no one dared to actually go up there.

"Hey, everybody stop!" Bryan spoke aloud. "She's still our Commander. Give her some respect, people."

They stopped the decrying. In their mind, Bryan was already the Commander, not that 15-year-old maniac.

Helen glared at him with a cold grin. _You are a good man, but in this cruel world good people dropped like flies. Only the faster and stronger can survive. Unfortunately for you, I am the fastest and strongest one. Even my AI told me I have 95 percent chance to win._

The announcer continued his show, "...Sitting in the center chair is our Flame Keeper, Ethan, He will be the overseer of this death match."

Helen swirled and saw the 13-year-old boy came up from the back stage and took the seat. Her grin grew bigger. _Yup, you can hide from me at other times, but not today. This conclave is too important for everyone that you have to come. After I slaughter Bryan, the next target will be you, my little friend. One stone two birds. Then no one will know that I had betrayed Becca. Polis will be my kingdom to rule._

She then pointed her blade at Bryan, "Before we fight, I need to make sure. Will DC tribe comply with the rules of the conclave? Will you all bend the knees to the winner?"

Looking at the arrogant devilish girl, Bryan sighed silently. _We used to be friends, and you used to be just a happy teenage girl who followed Becca everywhere. What made you change so much?_

In fact, Ethan already told him the reason. He still couldn't believe that Helen was capable of betraying Becca. He didn't tell anyone about the secret, not even his wife. Soon he found out some people who knew her betrayal were dead. Some seemed accidental, but others died with guts slashed open, very possibly by Becca's blade. He decided to keep the secret to himself.

 _This girl had become a cold-blooded serial killer, making deadly moves by precise calculations. I have to stop her at any cost. Nicole will understand me one day._

Hearing her pompous demand, he nodded slowly. "They all agree to the rules. I already made sure of that."

"Good!" Helen smiled like Harley Quinn just got her hammer back, "Otherwise I had nothing to gain from this fight."

Bryan thought bitterly. _How about your own soul? You should have resigned right after the battle. Yet you still demand everyone's loyalty. Becca never demand anyone anything. She just asked, and we will all risk our lives to do it._

"So, what are we waiting for?" Helen swung her blade fast like lightning. "Let's begin."

"Wait a damn minute!" Someone from the entrance bellowed out a big shout.

Everyone twisted his/her head back to see who was yelling, and they recognized that the man was Joe Whitman, Special Force Elite from Mount Weather. No one had expected him to be there. After all, Mount Weather shouldn't interfere anything in Polis.

"You guys are cruel!" Whitman walked in and his eyes swept around the audience, "I woke up to an empty camp, only to find out that no one invited me here. That's so fucking rude!"

Bryan spoke to him, "Hey, Joe, what the hell are you doing? This is Polis business. We don't want to get Mount Weather involved."

"Well, then it's God damned too late, isn't it?" Whitman stepped up the stage and said, "Me and my soldiers didn't risk our lives to fight the Second Dawn, so you guys can play the gladiator game here. This is 21th century, for fucks sake. We are all civilized…"

A shiny metal blade touched his neck skin, cold and sharp. Helen halted his speech midway. "Mr. Whitman, you cannot stop us. The die is cast. Decisions have been made. I suggest you go down and enjoy the show."

Bryan grabbed his spear and pointed at Helen, but he didn't want to make any wrong moves. Helen could easily cut off Whitman's head in a flash.

"So you have to fight each other to the death?" Whitman asked. He seemed very calm for someone in such a mortal danger.

Bryan answered, "Yes, Joe, we HAVE to. It's our grounder's way."

"Well, then you gave me no choice then." Whitman took out a large Rambo knife. "I will join the fight."

For a moment, the whole stadium fell to absolute silence. Everyone was staring at Joe Whitman with astonishment. _What the heck was that guy thinking?_ Then waves of cheers and applause followed, getting louder and louder.

Helen was amused, "Oh, big guy, you think you are brave? You have no idea what you just got yourself into. Plus, are you even qualified? You have no tribe to lead, nothing to risk."

Whitman glanced at her with contempt, "My soldiers will not follow you, but I can give you this." He took out a little thumb drive. "It has the locations of our secret bunkers nearby. You can find plenty of food and weapons there."

 _Hm...Food and weapon, the things I desperately need for my reign._ Helen considered her options. _He's a muscular man with military combat training, but he's too old and too slow to fight me. My AI predicts that I still have 80 percent chance to win them._ So she agreed, "OK, it's your funeral. Welcome to the show."

Bryan patted his shoulder anxiously, "What the hell are you thinking? You know this is a death match, right?"

Whitman replied, "You cannot win this. Not without me."

"I appreciate the concern." Bryan whispered in his ear, "But I already have a plan. You will screw it up."

"I don't have a plan." Whitman said, "But with all due respect, I had much more combat training than you."

"Whatever you say, old man." Bryan brandished his spear and arcs of glitters flashed by. "Like she says, it's your funeral."

"Since when you agree with her?" Whitman wondered, "And why you both think swirling the weapon fast can somehow make you a martial art master?"

The announcer took over, "Well, is there anyone else want to join? Come on, don't be shy. Becca had trained many of you, not just Helen and Bryan... Still no? OK then. Let the main event start."

He cleared his voice, "Kum...hum... Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for the Conclave to start. THIS is a fight to the death. Last person standing will take Becca's spirit, and becomes the next Commander, Let's get ready to RRRRRRRUUUUUMMMMM..."

A small knife swished through the air and buried into the chair of the announcer, inches from his penis. The announcer choked back his rumbling immediately.

 _Still an impulsive little girl._ Bryan had a little sneer. _You just lost your secondary weapon._

Two big men, one young and one middle-age, started to circled Helen in the stage center. All audience held their breath and tried not to blink. The whole stadium fell into an eerie silence.


	2. Chapter 2 - The Conclave - Part 2

Revision 1.0

===#===#===

The Rambo knife reflected a bluish sheen. Joe Whitman held it tight and watched Helen's each movement with full attention. He kept stepping sideways to get out of her front. Yet somehow he felt no matter where he moved, Helen saw right through him. He had to wait for an opportunity, any tiny chance that he could use for his advantage.

Bryan was basically in the same shoes. His steel spearhead kept pointing at Helen's heart. He wanted to launch an assault, putting all his strength and speed in one deadly thrust, like the way he had done to many black panthers. However, his instinct warned him loudly like a chiming church bell, reminding him the danger of this woman. So he had to wait for the best moment. Sweat came out of his forehead.

Helen, compared to those two very intense men, appeared to be resting. Her body was straightened up. Her blade pointed downward. She didn't move around at all, but her eyes were constantly darting to both men with high alert.

"Becca, Not Now!" She suddenly spoke. "This is a bad time!"

 _This is it!_ Bryan jumped and charged her at a lightning speed. His spear made a loud "FUUUUSH" sound that most audience could hear. That was a thrust not many people could even see.

But he missed. Helen stepped aside casually and his full force just pierced the air. The strong inertia making him past her position and stepped on the other side of the circle.

Whitman dashed at Helen's direction of dodging and slashed at her torso. In the middle of the swinging Helen disappeared from his sight. He didn't have an idea where she went, so he instantly dropped to the ground and made a roll, in the hope of avoiding Helen's counter strike.

In just a tiny split second, Helen had evaded both attacks at an inhuman speed. The audience had never seen such a spectacle. All of them gasped in unison.

Meanwhile, she was still speaking to the air. "You almost cost my life. You know that? Those two idiots are not dummies..."

Everyone just gaped at her with the same mind. _That girl is truly crazy! She talks to herself in the midst of the heated fight?_

Bryan and Whitman found their bearings and swirled around. Relieved to see Helen didn't counter-attack them. They let out a breath.

Helen was still talking to the air, "Becca, I swear to God! One more word from you and I will…" She glanced around, like only then she realized one thousand pair of eyes were staring at her. "What the hell are you looking at?" She burst at them. "You never saw me talking to her?"

Indeed, some of the citizens had seen similar scenes, but they all thought Helen was hallucinating. Many started to wonder, _Is she really seeing the ghost of Becca?_

Whitman took a quick glimpse at Bryan, and noticed him giving out a slight nod.

 _What? What is the meaning of it?_ He was puzzled while Helen suddenly slid aside.

Behind her, a piece of wood pierced by a bullet and splinters burst outward.

Bryan leaped at her like a panther springing for its prey. His spear made a long arc swinging at her head. This blow might not be lethal, but it covered a large area. She didn't have much space to dodge on the stage.

Helen chose to drop down her body backward and let the tip of the spear passed over her head, and that's exactly what Bryan wanted.

In his left hand, he wielded a sharp dagger and stabbed at her upper torso.

Only then the sound of the rifle arrived. " **PANG**!" Which shocked a lot of audience.

Very few people could see it, but Helen's waist twisted in the midair like a yoga master performing an unbelievable pose. The dagger missed her by inches.

Bryan knew instantly that it was as close as he could get to her. He didn't even have time to react, her blade already flashed by like a faint rainbow, and his left arm was split away from the body.

In that moment, he didn't even feel any pain yet. He only saw Helen moved to his right, so he let off the spear and lunged at her and used his right arm to clasp her waist.

Helen didn't expect that he could charge at her even after losing an arm. " **THUMM**!"Their bodies collided heavily. Bryan tackled her down like a linebacker rushed at a quarterback. They both hit the wooden floor hard.

"Kill her!" Bryan yelled out loud, not only to Whitman, but also to his wife Nicole, who was holding a sniper rifle in an upper level of the stadium.

Whitman launched himself at Helen on the ground. His Rambo knife pointed at her throat. That was the best chance he could ever hope for. She was pinned down by Bryan's 200 pound body. There was no way she could escape from it.

Or was it?

Helen's right hand let off the blade and grabbed the breeding stump in Bryan's left shoulder, then pushed Bryan's whole body toward the knife. Bryan cried out in excruciating pain, and he couldn't stop Helen's push while missing the whole left arm.

The Rambo knife barely braked at Bryan's back. Whitman did his best pulling the force back, but still the knife pierce into the fresh to the bone. Just when he had to stop his whole body from pushing down the knife, Helen seized the chance and her right leg lashed out from the ground like a Muay Thai fighter. Whitman couldn't even see it coming, and was hit heavily in the left face. He collapsed to the side, almost fainted.

" **Aaaahhhhh..."** Bryan started to fully feel the pain from his stump, which was still forcefully grabbed by her. His right arm loosed the clasp. Helen easily pushed him away and stood up.

Quickly she hopped to Whitman's side, then everyone heard another gunshot. " **PANG!** " A bullet hole appeared right next to Bryan.

"Really?" Helen took the Rambo knife from the half-conscious Whitman's hand, and threw it straight toward the roof.

The knife flew away with a "whippppp" sound. Somewhere from the upper level of the stadium a woman's scream echoed back.

Bryan cried out, "Nicole! No!"

A sniper rifle fell from the sky and smashed into pieces on the concrete stairs. People raised their heads and wanted to see how Nicole was, but she was nowhere to be seen.

Few people realized Helen just done a feat that was borderline inhuman. Nicole was hiding 100 yards away and 30 yards up. Yet Helen's knife still hit her with pin point accuracy. The AI in her brain helped her achieve the impossible.

All the threats were snuffed out. Helen leered at her opponents, "Oh, I'm sorry. Is that your wife? Huh? Do the rules say firearm is permitted?" She kicked Bryan in his wound. "Did it say that you can use your wife's help? Huh?"

Bryan let out another cry of pain. Blood was pulsing out from his shoulder like dark rivers. Yet somehow he managed to stand up and stared at her. "I...I just need to stop you... don't care about the rules."

"Perfect!" Helen made a little clapping, "Yeah, me neither. But this is the conclave, we all swear by Becca's name to obey the rules. Yet you violated them. Unforgivable!" She picked up Becca's blade from the ground. "Any last words?"

"Burn in Hell you fucking crazy bitch!" Bryan spat on her.

"You first." Helen started a strange dance around Bryan.

It was the most brutal dance the audience had ever witnessed. With each move, she cut something down from Bryan. After 10 rounds, Bryan's nightblood sprayed everywhere around a ten feet radius. Helen practically turned him into a dark fountain. Thousands of crimson drops flew up, covering her face, her hair and her clothes.

The audience were all in shock. Most of them covered their mouths but couldn't even cry.

After 10 more of those barbaric yet graceful rounds, Bryan was not in a human shape any more. His body was turned into many pieces of meat and bones. Only then Helen finally stopped her beautiful but frightening dance.

The audience were muted.

"Aren't you all entertained?" Helen shouted at them. "Do you see what happens if you are against me?"

No one dares to answer her. The whole stadium is dead quiet like a midnight cemetery.

Helen let out a long sigh, "Stupid people, always think good guys will win." She turned and looked at Whitman on the ground. That one kick already made half of his face swollen. He was seeing stars flying around.

"Sorry, Mr. Whitman. Why you have to come up here to challenge me? So now I have to kill you." She purposely walked slowly with her blade, closer and closer.

Whitman saw her coming, but his body was not in his control. The whole world was rotating in front of him. He could barely stand up, let alone fighting.

He felt the cold metal of the blade was once again on his neck. Helen's word came in, "Any last words?"

He closed his eyes. _I am sorry my wife and my son! So sorry that I won't be around._

Seconds past, the expected death didn't come. He was wondering why Helen didn't make the move already, then he heard a high-pitch screaming right next to him.

" **AaaaaaHhhhh!** " Helen held her body and screamed in pain.

 _What the hell?_ Just when Whitman was puzzled, he saw something even more bizarre.

Helen tore open her jacket and threw it away. She wore a white shirt underneath, but now it's all wet with sweat. He could see her fully grown breast. The shirt doesn't cover much of her body shape.

Then Helen frantically dragged her round neck open, took it off and threw the shirt away. Suddenly she wore nothing on her upper body. Everyone gasped in shock. Some looked away but most stared at her ceramic white skin with iris enlarged.

" **Hot...Hot...AAAAHHH!** " She couldn't take off her tight pants quickly enough, so she used the blade to cut a long strip. Then she tore her pants open with bare hands.

In less than 10 seconds she shed all her clothes in front of everyone.

The development was so unexpected that the audience didn't know what to do, and what to think.

Just one moment ago she was so terrifying, so intimidating. The next moment, she became a weak and naked 15-year-old, just like the way they first found her back in that Mega Tower.

She didn't even try to cover her body. With no clothes on, she started to roll around on the ground, begging someone. " **PLEASE, STOP, PLEASE, STOP, HOT... SO HOT…** " Her snowy skin became more and more dirty with each roll.

Some people even found the scene strangely erotic and swallowed hard, then they tried their best to hide it.

Whitman picked up her blade and looked at her bewildered. _What is happening to her?_

She suddenly stopped her movement and spoke to him, "Whitman, quick, kill me! Kill me before she's back."

Whitman suddenly realized, "Becca, is that you?"

"Yes, it's me. Come on, kill me, quickly!"

He put the blade through her heart. It effortlessly slid in like opening butters. The blade went through her chest and separated her heart into two halves.

Only then Helen woke up confused. She stared at the blade that impaled her with mouth open. She curled up into a fetal position.

Whitman knew he was supposed to pull the blade out, but somehow he didn't want to do more harm to this dying naked girl, who looked so pitiful and vulnerable. So he just stood there watching her breathing in and out. Each breath was slower and shallower. A puddle of dark blood accumulated under her young and seemly innocent body.

"Daddy, save me." It was her last word.


	3. Chapter 3 - The Ark

Revision 1.0

===#===#===

Everyone knew the Ark was the city in the space, but it's hard to describe what it exactly looked like.

To help picturing it, we could start with a similar ring building, the abandoned Headquarters of bankrupted Apple corp. The ring of Ark was 3 times of that building's diameter and 10 times its size.

Now imagine attaching 12 space stations, each as large as aircraft carriers, to the ring, then put the top portion of Eligius tower, which was roughly 3000 feet long, in the center of the circle, and you will have some ideas what the Ark looked like.

In short, it was a gigantic construction with 12 stations in the space. Each one had its original country. The biggest and most influential ones were American Musk Station and Chinese Shenzhen Station. They happened to be on the opposite side of the ring. No, correction, they were purposely located on the opposite side, because after the nuclear war, Chinese and American were not so happy with each other, to say the least. Numerous fights broke out between those two groups of people. So the two stations had to stay as far away from each other as possible.

The year was 2055. The Ark was officially formed only last year. In that fateful day, all stations were successfully connected to the ring and started rotating together, generating a comfortable one-G gravity. They called that day the "Unity Day". It was quite a cheerful day at first, only was ruined by the emergency call from the Mar's Colony.

( The details of the conflict between Mars colony and the Ark are in the "Becca's Tale - Book Two")

Originally, the Ark inherited 5 Hydrofarms from the Australian Assange Station to provide enough food and clean water for all 6000 residents, but after the Hydrofarm 3 was destroyed by a Mar's colonist, their capacity dropped dramatically.

When people had to start using portion cards to get their food and water, they already had bad feelings about the future, but none would have expected the biggest social turmoil of the Ark was about to take place.

...

"He's losing too much blood!" Chloe Wu heard herself ordering someone, "Tighten the belt! I will go and find more plasma."

She saw herself walking briskly to a glass closet along the wall, almost tripping over the slippery floor. She looked down and was shocked to see so much blood on the hospital's pristine white tiles. Like a water pipe was broken, the blood soon covered the whole floor and kept rising up to her ankle.

She saw herself staring at an empty shelf and mumbling, "No, no, no, there got to be more plasma! This is the hospital for God sake!"

"Owww… Doctor…" She heard the man on the stretcher moaning. It was hard to look at the man lying down there. His lower half of the body is missing. Pulses of blood kept pouring out from the remaining torso and merged with the all the blood on the floor. The red liquid rose up to the knee level.

She knew that worker lost both legs when an emergency metal gate shut down on him, cutting both his legs clean off. The emergency gate might have saved hundreds in that chamber, but also torn him apart. His face was paper pale, and he breathed fast. As the doctor, Chloe knew he had only minutes to live, yet there was nothing she could do to help him.

"Doc…" the man struggled to speak, "It is… OK…" Then he stopped, permanently.

Silently all the blood started to cover over his body.

...

Chloe finally woke up in her tiny quarter in the ring. She found trails of tears on her face, some already dried.

 _Another night with a bad dream like this._ She thought. _God! Please stop it already! It almost feels like being tortured repeatedly._

Looking at a mirror, she was stunned by her reflection. Only 20 years old, she already had wrinkles on the forehead and dark shadows under her eyes. She practically looked like a 40 year old. The recent disasters damaged her, both emotionally and physically. She felt tired even after sleeping.

 _Over 300 people died 2 months ago. I could only save 10._ She recalled what happened during that dreadful day, feeling the helplessness all over again. _Our medical supplies practically ran dry since then. I cannot save anyone now..._

"Beep, Beep…" The alarm clock reminded her to go back to work, but how could anyone be a doctor without any medicine?

It took her quite an effort to just get out of the bed. Everything else was like a blur. Robotically she put on the clothes she wore everyday, and took a transport pod to the hospital in the Shenzhen station.

Nurse Wendy greeted her at the entrance, "Hi, Dr. Wu! You look lovely like every other day!"

 _Liar!_ She thought. _Even myself know I look like shit. But can't blame her for the effort. At least she's keeping the hospital running, unlike me. I practically hate this place._

"Thank you Wendy." She replied. "Anything new today?" She saw several charts on the front desk.

"Oh, Doctor, you will love this." Wendy gave her a wink, "A pretty boy just got escorted in by the guard. You got to take a look at him." She handed her one of the charts. "Such a nice boy! Ummwwa…" She even made a kissing sound. "I have no doubt you will like him. Ha! I wish I were 20 years younger."

 _Wendy never changes. She looks at each patient like her love interest. So unprofessional!_ Chloe frowned like she always did, took all the charts and stepped in the patient's room.

Four beds were recently occupied. Three of them lied local gangsters with bruises and broken noses and jaws. All have handcuffs tied them up to the bed, but obviously they seemed to be staring at the last bed, which was isolated by white curtains.

 _Wait..._ She had an uneasy feeling. _So all these three were hurt by this "boy" Wendy referred? Seems this little hospital will have a rough day with those guys._

Finally she reached the last bed, pulled the curtain aside, and saw a station guard watching a handcuffed young man. The young man was about her age. Some bruises in his face, arms and legs. A large white patch covered his chest with some blood soaking out. In the center was a switch knife buried in the middle of the patch. Half of the blade was still outside, making the other half more scary.

 _Oh, Wendy didn't remove this knife?!_ She frowned more. _She should be able to do it. Why just leave it there? It increases the chance of getting infected..._

As Chloe wondering about that little detail, she noticed that Wendy gave her a thumbs up from the front desk. _What the hell? She left it there on purpose?_ She felt a little angry. _This is toying with people's lives, Wendy!_

"Hey ... doctor!" the young man struggled to smile, "So good … to finally see you."

Chloe didn't get impressed easily, but at that moment she was like being struck by lightning. His pretty face was so charming that for a moment she forgot why she was there.

 _God damned! He is handsome!_ She couldn't help thinking. _Can't believe I could feel like this!_ Her face was getting hot.

"I know ... it's awful." The young man took Chloe's surprise for the severity of his injury. "But please help me out…. It really hurts."

Chloe tried her best focusing back on the chart. "Well, I see, you are from American Musk Station. Mr. … uh… Trudeau?"

"Yeah, I know, but no relationships."

"Relationship to whom?" She wondered.

"Never mind."

"Alright, since you still can talk, it means the knife didn't pierce your lung. So you are lucky. Do you know why Wendy didn't do a X-Ray on you?" She asked.

He looked blankly, "Why asked me ... Aren't you the doctor?"

Chloe shook her head. _Wendy, Wendy, you are really something. You should be in the matchmaking business._

She nodded to the guard, "Hi, Sir. I will take over from here. Do you mind uncuffing him?"

The guard was not willing to comply, "Hey miss. This guy is dangerous. I don't think that's a good idea."

"Then how do I do the X-Ray?" Chloe protested, "The equipment is in the other room. Do you want to take the whole bed inside that room?"

"OK, doc." The guard relented, "But please don't let his blue eyes and pretty face fool you. He looks innocent, but we all know he's a criminal."

"Trust me, mister… uh.. Yang." She read his name tag, "All I want is to take the knife out, patch him up and let you guys do whatever you want with him."

"I am right here, you know." the young man said, "Kinda hurt hearing that."

Chloe had a little sneer, "For a troublemaking American boy like you, you deserve a lot more pain."

His eyes widened, "Please, doc, I am a Canadian."

"All the same to me." Chloe put down the chart and fetched a wheelchair, "Sit."

The handcuff was off. The young man slowly lowered himself to the chair. Chloe had to carefully hold the knife for him. Her hands were on his muscular chest. She could feel her heart beating fast.

"Huuuu..." After fully sat down, he gave her a smile with dimples, "Thanks, doc!"

Chloe felt a little dizzy by his smile, "No...No problem." She absentmindedly blurted.

Then the young man saw the guard glaring at him, so he wondered, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"No particular reason." The guard shrugged, "Besides the fact that you beat up three other local guys."

He protested, "All I did was self-defense."

"The station chief will be the judge of that." the guard said, "At the meantime, don't you dare to have any ideas in the X-Ray room." He had a gesture of "I am watching you."

The young man opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.

Chloe pushed him into the room and helped him lie down in a special chair. She found the young man stared at her intensely. Once again she felt her face was boiling.

 _Damn the biological reaction! Damn the puberty! Be a professional. I shouldn't feel this way. He's the enemy for God sake._ She kept reprimanding herself.

Suddenly his hand grabbed her wrist, almost made her heart jumped out of the chest.

"Hey, Mr. Trudeau…" She wanted to yell, but out came only a whimper.

"Call me Mark, please." the young man seemed eager, "Please, could you help me with something?"

"No, I will not. Lie still please." She put the X-Ray lens on his chest.

He pushed the lens away, "Please, it's about my younger sister. Please help her."

A speaker raise its voice, "Hey, what are you doing? Told you not to try anything."

He looked at her eyes with implore, "Please, doctor, my sister needs this." He put a little thing in her palm.

Chloe's heart beat fast and hands sweated. It took awhile for her to regain conscious and say, "Mr. Trudeau, you have a knife in your chest. If you don't cooperate, you will die."

He retreated his hand and lied down. Chloe fixed the X-Ray lens on his chest then left the room.

Outside, the guard asked, "Sorry, did he say or did anything to you, Miss Wu?"

Chloe shook her head, and secretly pocket the little thing Mark Trudeau handed to her.

"This guy really has a death wish." The guard didn't notice her move and continued, "How dare he came to our Shenzhen Station and threw a tantrum on us?"

"Yup, he is a stupid Canadian boy." Chloe agreed.

"No, I think he is lying about that too." The guard said, "Of course he wouldn't dare to say he is an American. Well, he's from the Musk Station. That's all I need to know." He waved his fist, "If only I can float him without permission..."

Chloe felt a little sick, "Sorry, Mr. Yang, but we still need to follow the rules."

"Rules?" the guard laughed a little. "What rules? Dr. Wu, sometimes you need to step out of this hospital and see the situation. People are robbing and stealing from each other. We are getting deeper and deeper into total chaos."

"That's exactly why we are having stronger and stricter rules." Chloe remembered some public announcement. "Our leaders are trying to solve those problems."

The guard let out a puff, "Pzzzz... really? You are still too young, doctor." He went out to get some coffee. It was a long night for him, apparently.

...

The X-Ray result turned out to be very positive. The knife hit a bone, but didn't penetrate any major arteries. So even without any anesthetics, Chloe simply took it out in a swiftly pull. Mark cried out in pain, but then he quickly gathered himself. The wound was not infected, but still he need some time to recover before leaving the hospital.

Chloe moved on to tend the other patients. However, she just felt that Mark's eyes were always on her. Whenever she walked nearby, she could feel that he fixed his gaze upon her again. He didn't say anything or made any moves, but deep down she knew he was begging her, "Please, please help me."

It was like somehow he put a lot of pressure on her, without putting any pressure on her. It drove her crazy. Her mind always wandered to his puppy face, his deep blue eyes, and the way he looked at her.

Finally she had enough, so she walked to him and said, "Fine! I'll do it. You happy?"

He loosened up and lied down on his bed. He closed his eyes with such a pleasant smile she wouldn't soon forget.

…

"Fucking stupid, stupid, and stupid…" Chloe cursed herself over and over. "Why you are doing it? Why?"

She knew the reason, but just couldn't stop swearing.

She took out the little thing Mark gave her. It was a little key ring with the letter "42" in it. She knew what that meant.

That key opened a locker with the number "42" in the station transport hub. Mark wanted her to deliver something inside to his sister. It was very obvious.

However, Chloe couldn't decide whether she should actually do it or not. _Why he risked so much coming to this side of the ring? He knew he wouldn't have a welcome party here. His blonde face alone would cause trouble._

Chloe had a bitter grin, _See? Now he is in the hospital with a bloody hole in his chest. Happy?_ Then, it only meant that the thing he hid in the locker must be very important. She started to speculate. _Hm… Maybe it's some highly illegal drugs? Hell, now any drug is super valuable. I would give anything for an aspirin._ She could almost feel her head aching.

 _Stop! Stop! Fucking stop!_ She finally scolded herself. _Just open the fucking locker and see what is inside. If those are really drugs, I will take them myself. My hospital needs them more than his addict sister._

Finally she found herself facing the locker "42". _Alright, here goes nothing._ She put the key ring near the locker. A little click emitted from the locker, and the door opened as it was supposed to.

Carefully she took out a pouch with a box inside. It was a little device looked like her plastic glasses holder, except there was a green LED light blinking on it.

 _What the hell is this?_ She was puzzled. _A little treasure box with power?_

Unhooking a clip, she opened the oval shape box and peeked inside.

There were three eggs lying on soft cloth. Three very real organic eggs. The soft cloth appeared to be generating some heat to keep the eggs warm.

 _The FUCK?!_ Chloe couldn't help cursing again. _All these ado for 3 freaking eggs?!_

Since the apocalypse 3 years ago, she hadn't seen any real eggs. Each day the menu was always synthetic chicken, synthetic beef or other synthetic meat. It was a little miracle that she could see a real egg in action.

 _Well, now I have 3 real eggs, if only I were a queen with the last name Targaryen._ Chloe joked to herself, remembering a book she just read. _Now what am I going to do with these three? Incubate them and let the dragons come out?_

Obviously those were not dragon eggs, neither she was a Targaryen. So the real choice she got was either disposing them or bringing them to Mark's sister.

Remembering how eager he looked, it was like his sister's life depended on those three eggs. Chloe let out a long sigh, knowing she had to continue to do the stupid things again.

 _Fuck you, Mark!_ She cursed, but then the thought made her blush. _God damn it! Stop it already Chloe. You are not a little girl any more._ She whispered to herself, then took a transporting pod toward the American Musk Station.

…

Not surprisingly, everyone in the Musk Station stared at the Chinese girl with half-surprise and half-hostile. Chloe walked briskly toward the address she copied from Mark's medical chart.

"Level 4 room 305. OK, from here is level 4. 305 should be nearby. " She wanted to ask someone, but the look on their faces defeated the intention. _Wow, now I must feel the same thing Mark had felt in my Shenzhen Station. No one is friendly, even the little children._

It took her another 20 minutes to find the room. Pressing the buzzer, she suddenly felt a relief. _It's a long day, but the whole thing will be over soon._

The door swung to the side, and she found herself facing a brunette girl about 18 years old. She looked younger, but taller than Chloe. The girl was so happy at the beginning, fully expecting her brother to return, but instead she met a Chinese girl at the doorstep. Her smile quickly faded to a frown. _Is that doubt, suspicion or angry?_ Chloe couldn't tell. She just felt the way she staring was quite unnerving. They faced each other in silence.

"My brother sent you?" the girl finally asked.

Chloe nodded. She took out the little pouch and tried to give it to her. The young girl stopped her and said, "Come in. Don't be a stranger."

 _But I am a stranger._ Chloe thought. _In this station I am the strangest stranger._ Yet she walked right in.

The young girl closed the door and asked, "Do you want tea?"

"No, thank you." Chloe replied mechanically, "I just want to give this to you. Your brother wanted you to have it very badly. Don't know why."

"Really?" the girl took the pouch and studied Chloe intensely, "You must have opened it, and you still don't know why?"

Chloe felt more and more uncomfortable. "No, I don't. Can I go now?"

The girl had a little sneer, "You are a big girl. Of course you can go any time you want. Is that right?"

 _So humiliating!_ Chloe thought. _I shouldn't have come here._

Just when Chloe about to leave, the girl asked, "How is my brother now?"

Chloe stopped in her track, "He is… uh… he is basically OK."

"What do you mean, 'basically OK' ?"

"Other than some bruises and a deep penetration wound in his chest, he will live."

"Oh, I see. You are the nurse then." The girl gave her another scan, "No, you are more cultured. The doctor, maybe?"

"Yeah, I am the doctor." Chloe didn't know why she admitted it so frankly. "So I can assure you that you brother will be fine. He's a survivor."

The girl eased up and smiled, "Yup, that's everyone says about him. He is a survivor. He's strong, smart…"

She circled Chloe and continued, "handsome… and … sexy!"

Chloe's eyes darted at her with surprise, "What? You are his sister!"

"Only half." the girl smiled devilishly, "You like him, don't you? Why else you come all the way here?"

Chloe felt her face getting hot, "I thought his sister is starving to death."

"Oh, I see." the girl nodded, "You are feeling guilty. You are afraid that if you don't deliver those eggs. A little girl might die. Ha, you are really something! Tell you the truth, those eggs are not to be consumed."

"So what are those for?"

The girl put the little pouch gingerly on a table, "Those are our new hope."

Chloe felt a little intrigued, "What do you mean? They look just like regular eggs."

"Exactly, they are normal organic eggs, except they are all fertilized." the girl proudly declared, "With those eggs, we will have chickens. Then chickens will bring us more eggs..."

 _Oh, give me a break!_ Chloe had enough of it. _If you want to play a little game of chicken and eggs, then there you have them. Have fun!_

She was about to say goodbye when the girl suddenly said, "Oh, I am so sorry! Where was my manners? You came all the way from Shenzhen Station, you brought me my brother's gift, and I treated you so badly. I am really sorry!"

"It's fine." Chloe replied. "Now the job is done…"

"Please, at least stay for dinner." she invited her, "Let us girls have some gossip. You do want to know more about my brother, don't you?"

That was an offer Chloe somehow couldn't resist.

…

The dinner was actually delicious and pleasant. During the girl talk, Chloe learned that her name was Amber Trudeau. 3 years ago, it was Amber who insisted her parents to buy two tickets to the space, to celebrate her 15th birthday. So she and her brother both ended up in the Musk Station and watched the Earth burnt.

"At precisely that moment, we both knew we lost everyone except each other." Amber wiped away a little tear. "Mark always wants to go back to the earth, to look for our parents in Montreal, so I always stop him."

"Why?"

Amber pointed out, "Isn't it obvious? All the expert says the ground will not be survivable for 200 years. Going down there means only suicide. I don't want that. Do you?"

"Of course not." Chloe nodded.

Amber continued, "We were lucky to have this little room all for ourselves. Many were not so fortunate. I saw rooms the same size with 10 people sleeping in." Then she asked, "Do you have a room to yourself, doctor?"

"Call me Chloe, please." She smiled, "Yeah, I have my own room, benefit of being a doctor, but I still feel awful every morning."

"I think you doctors just think too much." Amber gave her a piece of synthetic meat, "Please try this. This is called 'Turkish Turkey'."

Chloe tried it, it was good. "Hm… It's quite chewy and smooth at the same time."

Amber had her little mischievous smile, "If you knew what it was actually made of, you wouldn't have enjoyed it so much."

"What does it make of?"

"Like I said, you just think too much." Amber's dimples were deeper and cuter.

For a moment Chloe felt quite relaxing. She hadn't had this kind of girl-talk for a long long time. She almost forgot that she was in a hostile territory. Amber told her many funny stories about she and her brother. How they spent the highschool days doing all sorts of pranks. Chloe told Amber how she became a doctor at such a young age, but still she was afraid of blood. They both laughed out loud.

After the dinner, Amber insisted on giving her some ration cards, but Chloe declined.

The door suddenly opened. A 6-feet-tall muscular man stepped in. Chloe jumped up in surprise.

"Oh, sorry." Amber apologized, "This is Jacob, my boyfriend. Is that right, Jacob?"

The big man bowed, "Yeah, that's right, my love, my only one, my princess..."

"Cut it out, Jacob." Amber interrupted him and said to Chloe, "He always says too much."

Jacob looked down and kept his silence.

Seeing him being so tame, Chloe let out a long breath, "Wow, that was scary. I thought we were being mobbed or something."

"Yeah, that's exactly what I am worrying, Chloe." Amber appeared to be quite concerned, "Now it's getting late. Very unsafe for you to walk alone. Jacob here will protect you. Won't you, Jacob?"

He nodded, "Yup, nothing will happen to this Chinese girl."

"Her name is Chloe. Didn't you just hear it?" Amber blurted.

Jacob quickly said, "I am sorry. Yes, I will escort Chloe to the transport hub. She will be safe."

"Good! Now I can relax." Amber gave her a smile, "We had such a good time! I wish we could have met in a different circumstance, and we could be good friends."

Chloe smiled too, "I wish the same. I really wish one day all Chinese and American can be peaceful together. We shouldn't be enemies."

"Well said!" Amber nodded. "To the peace." She proposed a toast with tea.

"To the peace!" Chloe drank the nice green tea, feeling great.

…

In silence Jacob brought her to the transport hub, then he suddenly said, "Miss , it seems you are a nice person, so I have to warn you. Don't ever come back here."

"What?!" Chloe was surprised to hear him talking like that.

"I am not supposed to say anything, but you should really count yourself lucky. It was a snake pit you just stepped in, but you didn't get any bites."

"What are you talking about?"

"You really don't know anything?" Jacob inspected her face closely, then said, "OK, then you just need to know. Don't ever, ever come back to Amber's place. You'd better not come to this side of the ring anyway. Oh, here comes your ride. Goodbye forever!" He almost shoved her into the pod.

"Why are you being so rude?!" Chloe held a metal bar and steadied herself. Jacob laughed, then he disappeared from view.


	4. Chapter 4 - Sinner

Revision 1.0

===#===#===

Joe Whitman had a weird dream.

Suddenly he was a 10 year old girl, who was standing on a sidewalk waiting eagerly for someone. There were other little friends around. They all wore white Karate outfits, chatting happily with her about what move they learned that day. She even showed a few kicks to her friends, who wowed her with admiration.

"Helen, honey!" A woman's voice came from behind. She turned around in surprise, "Mom?! Why are you here?"

A 30-year-old woman with thick makeup approached her, "Honey, today is my visitation day, remember?"

Helen stepped back instinctively, then said, "No, I don't remember. Where is dad?"

The woman tried to smile, "I am sorry, honey, but your father is busy today. He wanted me to pick you up."

"No, mom, you are not supposed to be here." Helen objected, "No, I am not going with you."

The woman started to plea, "Please, honey, I am your mother. I miss you so much in the past few months…" Tears ran down her cheeks.

Helen noticed that her friends stopped talking and peeked at both of them. _Why? Mom? Why you always make a scene?_ She felt so embarrassed.

"OK, OK, mom, I go with you. Stop crying!" She finally said, "My friends are looking at us."

"I am sorry, I am so so sorry, honey." The woman wiped her tears with a tissue and smiled, "I promise I won't do this again."

 _Your promise means nothing._ Helen thought. _You already broke my father's and my heart._

A 30 feet stretch limousine silently crept in and stopped. The woman waved at the driver then beckoned her come close.

Helen was genuinely surprised, "Mom, is this your car?"

"Oh, honey, this is my friend's, I want to take you somewhere nice." She replied.

Helen didn't think too much. After all she was too young to know things. Besides, that was her mother who was leading her.

However, once inside the limo, she immediately found out the situation was very wrong.

A strong cigar smell permeated the inner space, there was a man with golden neck chains sitting in the back seat. Her mother came in and shut the door. The car started moving.

Helen had to ask, "Mom, what's going on?"

Her mother put a hand on her shoulder, "Honey, it's OK. He is the friend who owns this car. Let me talk to him. I'll be right back."

Then she saw her mother walked over and sat next to that man. They started talking in an intimate way. Helen didn't hear much, but from the way they acted, she could guess both were talking dirty and flirting. She frowned at the obscene view.

 _Mom, what are you getting me into this time?_

It was a long 30 minutes drive. Those two in the backseat were practically glued together. And Helen noticed that the man stole a look at her from time to time, which made her even more uncomfortable.

Very soon the stretch limo left the city center and climbed a steep hill. It was surprisingly effortless. The big car silently pulled in a private drive and stopped in front of a manor, which looked like a medieval castle decorated with modern plexiglasses.

The door was opened. The driver with black sunglasses was waiting outside politely.

Helen took a quick look outside. She saw a fountain with sculptures of naked deities. She didn't move.

Her mother left the man and came close, "Honey, this is it! Don't you see? It's beautiful!"

Helen had to lower her voice, "Mom, what is this place?"

"What? This is a great home, don't you see?" Her mother was gleeful.

"Who the hell is that man?" Helen was getting more and more anxious.

"Oh, can't you see it already? He is my new boyfriend, a very nice man."

Helen then noticed her eyes were all red, "Mom, are you on drugs?"

"Of course not. I am perfectly fine." she said, "I just want you to have a good time in this castle. Don't you want to be a princess?"

"No, mom. I never wanted to be a princess." Helen's eyes had tears circling, "Please, take me back to my home, I beg you."

The man in the backseat was getting impatient, "Barbara…"

Her mother raised her hand and said, "I know, I know… Give me one more minute, please."

She used a very gentle voice, "Honey, but this is your home now. You will have everything you ever need. I promise you will be very happy here."

Helen took another look outside. She saw the driver already took off his sunglasses. From his eyes she saw something. She instinctively felt that the driver was pitying her.

A quick glimpse at his waist, she saw a special belt across his chest. She was familiar with that kind of belt. In fact her father wore it everyday. It was for a gun holster.

Taking a deep look at her mother, who was still full of expectation, Helen lashed out and gave her a big slap on her face.

 **PAAAAA...**

Just when her mother was still in shock, Helen jumped to the front driver seat and turned on the ignition.

"No No No…" The driver dived in, but the limo was already moving.

Helen never actually drove a car before. All her experience came from the kiddy carts in amusement parks, plus watching her father drove everyday. She stepped on the gas pedal and held the steering wheel as best as she could.

The limo plowed down a fence and jumped over bumps like a crazy horse. Many glasses and bottles broke and flew around. Her mother fell to the ground.

Amid the chaos inside the limo, the driver's left hand already grabbed Helen, who was still stepping on the pedal to the floor.

It was one split moment, a moment that Helen never forgot.

The driver raised his right fist and ready to struck her face. His eyes met Helen's. The angry fist suddenly turned into a tight embrace.

The limo fell off a cliff.

…

" **Ahhhhh…** " Joe Whitman woke up soaked in sweat.

 _What the FUCK was that?_ Whitman wiped his forehead. _Was I really dreaming? Why it felt so real?_

Only then he started to realize that he was still in the post-apocalyptic world. Surrounding him was the basement of the hospital of Polis, where he got treated before.

He looked around, and surely and expectedly he saw Ethan, the 13 year old genius, who was watching him expectantly. He had a look that was way beyond his age.

"God damn it!" He cursed, " No offense, but I am not happy to see you."

"None taken." Ethan smiled like an old man. "I am so glad that you didn't die."

"What happened?"

"The conclave? Remember?" Ethan reminded him, "Helen kicked your head really hard."

"Yeah… I … I … remember that." There was still sizzling pain on the left side of his head. "I mean what happened after I passed out."

"Well…" Ethan hesitated, "Uh… Many things happened… Not sure you want to know."

"Come on boy, just tell me." Whitman patted his shoulder. "Nothing I cannot handle."

"Well… The first thing is…" Ethan avoided his eyes, "You almost died from that kick. Your brain had internal hemorrhage, which I didn't know how to fix."

Whitman laughed, "Haha, but you did fixed me, right? You are our home-grown genius. I knew you would have figured it out, otherwise I am already dead."

"So happy you see it this way." Ethan looked at Whitman guiltily like a little kid who just caught stealing. "But in order to save you… Uh… Uh…"

"What? Come on, Ethan. This is not like you."

"I … uh… I … uh… made you the third commander." once Ethan said it, he shrunk back like he was getting a whip.

"What do you mean, made me the third commander?" Whitman was confused. "You guys elected me? Sorry but I can't be your Commander. I am going back to see my wife and my new born son. You'd better choose a new leader."

"Yeah...There is some problem with that…" Ethan stuttered again. "We cannot choose anyone else."

"Why not? This is still America." Whitman shrugged, "I will announce the resignation, and you guys prepare a new election. How hard can that be?"

"Uh… Because... " Ethan looked more like a timid child, " Uh… Technically…"

"Spill the fucking bean, please." Whitman was getting impatient. "I need to get ready to move."

"Uh… Because I put Becca's spirit in your brain." Ethan raised his hands over his head, like trying to protect himself from a spank.

" **WHAT?!** " Whitman's eyes opened wide. "What did you say?"

Ethan suddenly returned to be the genius, "You know, I didn't know how to open your brain and drain the blood. The only way I could think of, is that Becca's spirit might repair your brain, once it got in."

"The FUCK?!" Whitman was getting angry, "You put that disgusting thing in my brain? Without my permission?"

"That's our Savior Becca's spirit. It's pure and clean." Ethan refuted, " And it saved your life."

Only then Whitman realized why he had such a strange and realistic dream, "That thing gave me fucking nightmares! No, no, you had to take it out. Right away."

"Uh...That's another problem." Ethan was stuttering again, which Whitman really hated.

"What's the problem now?"

"I never uh... take the spirit out of a living body... uh... cannot guarantee that ... you will be alive after the spirit is removed."

"Oh, great, just fucking great!" Whitman palmed his forehead. "Really good news, Ethan. You put a fucking AI chip in my brain. Now I have two women living in my head. One of them is a psychopath."

"Uh… Maybe you can ask Becca?" Ethan asked tentatively, "She might know how to remove it without killing the host?"

Whitman didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Life played such a cruel joke on him. He shunned Helen because he saw her talking to the air crazily. _Now I have to do just the same._

He finally spoke, "OK, Becca. Come out now." He looked around. "Any time please. Hopefully this year. I am waiting…"

No one magically appeared. So he asked Ethan, "How does this chip works? Is there a magic word or something?"

"Uh… I don't really know." Ethan said it like he was hiding something. Whitman saw right through him.

"The fuck you don't know." Whitman grabbed his collar and stared him in the eyes, "You must know something. TALK!"

"Hmm..." Ethan was thinking hard, "From my observation of Helen... uh... Becca would appear only when Becca wanted. Helen had no control of it."

"Alright, this is a start." Still grabbing him, "I need more."

"Oh… On the other hand, if you ask any information or knowledge, there is an AI which will give you the answer right away."

 _Really? The fucking AI can do that?_

An answer immediately appear in his mind, _Yes, I can._

 _Holy shit! This is like a Siri in my brain. Alright, how much is 123 multiple by 123?_

 _15129._

 _Good, now tell me how far is the Sun?_

 _Roughly 92.96 million miles._

 _Better. So how's the weather today? Do I need to bring an umbrella?_

 _Sorry, insufficient data in the post-apocalyptic world._

 _God damn useless AI !_

 _Sorry about that._

 _Shut up!_

Ethan lightened up, "It works, right? You have access to all the information, right?"

Whitman loosened his grab, "Yeah, kinda strange, but it works." He was silent for a while, then said, "The AI doesn't know how to remove my chip, either."

Then it was Ethan's turn to pat Whitman's shoulder, "Don't worry. Becca knows, and she will show up, sooner or later."

"Yeah, thank you so so much, Ethan." Whitman's voice was full of sarcasm.

Ethan didn't mind at all, "You are very welcome, my friend. We are so eagerly waiting for you to lead us…"

"Wait a minute…" Whitman stopped him, "Didn't I just said it? I am going back to Mount Weather. I need to see my wife and son."

"Yah, yah, sure…" Ethan agreed, " No problem with that. But after you see them, you will come back, right?"

"Fucking NO! I have the President of the United States to protect. That's my real job. I am not coming back."

"Oh, please." Ethan started crying, "We need you. We need Becca. This is the city she built. I missed her so much!"

Suddenly he was back to a 13-year-old and cried out loud. "She's like a mother to me… I love her, but she died for us…"

His crying turned into heart-breaking wail. The sadness hit Whitman like a spear.

"I am sorry, Ethan." He finally said, "I will think about coming back. Please give me some time."

"No, you shouldn't come back." A woman's voice suddenly came out from his right.

Whitman looked sideways, and surprised to see Becca standing right next to him.

 _What the FUCK?!_

"You see her?" Ethan stopped crying and observed him.

"Yes, I see her." Whitman eyes got rounder and rounder. He moved his hand in Becca's direction, but touched nothing. "Wow, it's like a hologram. She's here, but she's not here."

"Could you tell me how much I missed her?"

"Buddy, she can see you, and she can hear you." Whitman assured him.

"Oh, this is so great!" Ethan wiped his tears happily, "I didn't dare get close to Helen. Now I can finally talk to Becca again!"

Becca said heartily,"I know how much you miss me, little Ethan. You grew a lot since the burning."

Ethan obviously didn't hear it. So Whitman had to be the speaker and repeated it.

"Thank you Becca!" Ethan talked to the empty air, " I am doing everything you taught me to do. Remember in the jail I swore an oath to protect your spirit? I intend to keep it."

"Please don't." Even Whitman was surprised to hear it from Becca. "What's done is done. You don't need to protect anything. Let it go."

"No, I can't do that." Ethan objected, "You showed me how to use the gene modder to save everyone. You changed everyone's lives. I will follow your path. I will be a savior just like you, and if necessary, I will die for my people just like you!"

Whitman took a look at Becca, and saw tears in her eyes. Somehow he could feel her deep sadness.

They both stayed silent for a long while.

"Remember what I said in the trial?" Whitman spoke for Becca, "Remember I said that I was the one who designed the AI and destroyed the world?"

Ethan nodded.

"That part was actually true." Whitman knew it too, but was still surprised to hear Becca admitting it without reserve. "That's why I tried so hard to save everyone, because my mistake killed billions of people."

Ethan's mouth opened, but no words came out.

"I am guilty of the suffering of everyone, including your. So I actually deserved to be burnt alive. The only regret was that I couldn't have saved more. A thousand is nothing compared to the billions I killed."

Ethan held Whitman tight and cried, "No, Becca, please don't say that."

Whitman spoke heavily, "But you, Ethan, you don't owe anyone anything. You deserve to have your own life, your own wife and your own children. Please, I am begging you, forget about the oath, forget about the chip, and just lived your life."

Ethan moved back and thought about it. He seemed quite conflicted inside.

In the end, he said, "No, Becca. Sorry that I have already dedicated my life to you. I will not break that oath, ever!"

"Please no, Ethan…"

"I will carry out the flame you passed to me. Becca. I want everyone to know you died for all of us. I chose this life a long time ago. There is nothing you can say to stop me."

"But you are still a child…"

"I stopped being a child when I saw my mother and sister raped and eaten." Ethan's tears dropped again, "Since I met you, you were the only reason that I dare to hope, that the world could be a better place, where no one is in danger. You gave me a purpose to live, Becca. Without your purpose and your hope, I'd rather die."

Whitman hugged Ethan tight. Hard to tell it was Becca or himself wanted to do it.

They didn't know how long they were in each other's arms, until there was a cough next door.

"Oh, shoot!" Ethan got out of Whitman's embrace. "I forgot about Nicole." Then he walked away.

 _Nicole? Oh, Bryan's wife of course. She was alive?_

Whitman followed him to the next room, and saw Nicole covered by blood-soaking bandages. Eyes closed, her face was pale. Ethan quickly untied and unrolled the bandages, and Nicole's bare breast appeared.

Whitman subconsciously turned his head away, but Ethan shouted at him, "No, let Becca see it. Only she knows what to do."

Whitman sighed, then turned his head and looked at the gaping wound in Nicole's chest.

It was his Rambo knife that did the damage, he reckoned. In the conclave, Helen took his knife and threw it at Nicole, hitting her in the center. It was an amazing feat made possible by AI, no doubt. But obviously the AI couldn't handle the aftermath.

"Her wound is infected." He heard Becca saying, "Did you use any antibiotics?"

"We don't have that any more." Ethan replied, "Any ideas?"

Whitman repeated Becca's words, "We will find green or blue mold from spoiled food, making penicillin the old fashion way. But for now, someone needs to go to a waterway nearby and get some red weeds. It's poisonous but will stop the infection quickly."

"Alright, I got it. Green mold and red weeds." Ethan nodded. "Mr. Whitman, please take care of Nicole here. I will go and search for the medicine."

"Me?!" Whitman was surprised to hear it. "Why me? Do you have any nurse or assistant?"

"I have but they are not allowed to be here." Ethan said, "I don't trust them, but I trust you. And you have Becca in your brain. So she's in good hands."

"But she's a woman…"

"What's the problem?" Ethan asked. "She's a woman, so what?"

"Uh… Never mind." Whitman finally said, "Go and get those medicine."

…

After Ethan was gone, Whitman started to change Nicole's bandage.

"Oh…" A moaning came out. Nicole seemed to be in a trance. Couldn't tell she was awake or not.

 _Damn it! Her bare breast is so distracting!_ Whitman felt his hands were sweating. _Pull it together, soldier! You have a wife and a son already!_

The moment his hand touched her skin, he felt like a little electricity went through him. At the same time Nicole moaned a little more, "Bryan… Is that you?"

 _Gosh, I am really a bad person, such impure thoughts!_

His hands were trembling, but still he managed to take away the bloody old bandage and started to clean her wound.

"You have to press harder to clean it." Becca suggested. "Your touch is too light."

"Oh, thank you, Becca!" Whitman said in exasperation, "Do you realize that you are really creepy? You are watching everything I see and listening to everything I heard. You are like a stalker I can never get rid of."

" I am sorry that you see it this way." Becca apologized, "But hey, hey, don't use water there. Use a cotton to suck out the pus…"

" I know how to handle the wound. I was in special ops for God sake." Whitman was very uncomfortable with Becca breathing down his neck.

" OK, OK, I will shut up... but please, just don't use water there."

Whitman let out a sigh, "Alright, I won't. You happy?"

Becca disappeared.

After the scary wound all cleaned up, he put new bandages on Nicole. Instinctively he put the first round of bandage to cover her nipples.

"Hey, Mr. Whitman. That's the wrong way." Becca's voice came out in his brain.

"You still watching?" Whitman was not so happy.

"Can't help it. You shouldn't cover her nipples, totally unnecessary."

"Fine…" Whitman had to do it again. This time, he did exactly the same way Ethan did. "Does it look OK to you? Your almighty all-seeing God?"

"Ha...ha…" Becca was amused, "She is my good friend. I have to look after her."

"From what I saw, she was against you in every way. You two never acted like friends."

"No, that's just outside." Becca explained, "Deep down we respected each other."

"Whatever..." Whitman sighed. " I never understood women's mind anyway."

"Uh...Now we have other things…" Becca said with hesitation.

Whitman could tell it was not good for him, "I would not like it, right?"

"I don't know. Probably you won't"

"What is it then?"

"We have to check her underwear."

"Oh, great, just great."

"If she has urinated, we have to change it."

"Somehow I knew you would say it." Whitman almost whined, "What's next? Check her anus?"

"Probably, if she hasn't had any defecation for days."

"You know." Whitman finally said, "I really hate this business. I am a soldier, not a nurse."

"If you can handle a battlefield, this is nothing." Becca said, "Maybe you will even like it."

"Yeah, right." Whitman started to check Nicole's pants. Thankfully it was not wet. However, he kinda felt a little disappointed.

 _Oh, My, God ! I am such a sinner!_


	5. Chapter 5 - Chloe

Revision 1.0  
===#===#===

Up in the sky, the counsel of the Ark just approved a new law that any violent criminals would be executed within a week. The draconic law immediately raised a fire storm in the social media. The Federation of the Ark sent hundreds of fully equipped guards to all the stations. They were preparing to suppress any protests and arrest any protestor on the street.

To their surprises, though in the social media people used all kinds of languages, foul or righteous, to condemn the law, but no one actually did a demonstration. The streets actually became empty.

Michael Jaha worked very late that night ,and he started the new day by facing an angry girl.

The girl must have been waiting for him all morning, and she fell asleep leaning on the door. So once the door was opened, she literally fell on his lap.

Michael didn't expect something like that. The falling girl knocked him to the ground like human dominoes. As they both struggled to get up, the girl accidentally pushed down on his crotch and made him yelp.

"Easy, easy, girl…" Jaha cried out, "Don't touch there…"

The girl finally realized where her hand actually was, but she still push it up.

"Ouch, ouch…" Jaha complained, "Careful, please."

"No need for that. Chancellor, your penis will be fine." The girl said, "We have a much more important matter to discuss."

 _More important than my crushed nuts?_ He wondered. Only then he could take a good look at the girl. She was a good looking Chinese, about 20 years old. Some wrinkles on her young face, but still impressively pretty.

"What can I help you, Miss…" He asked.

"Just call me Chloe." She said, "Please, Chancellor Jaha, you need to take back the last executive order, immediately."

"So you don't want to recycle the human feces? Kind of waste just throw them in the space, don't you think?"

"No, not that one." She corrected him, "The one about killing the criminals."

"Oh, that one." Jaha thought. _Everyone is trying to talk to me about it._ He had to do the explanation again. He felt a headache started.

"I am sorry, but our jail population is overflown. We have to execute all the violent criminals."

Chloe nodded,"Yes, I know that, and I agree with you, Chancellor. We do need rules and regulations to keep people from chaos, but there are some cases…"

"Miss, there is no 'but' in the law." Jaha interrupted her, "Once anyone committed a violent act, the chance he will do it again will be very high, and we cannot allow that."

"Yes, but there are good people just doing self-defense. They shouldn't be floated."

"Oh, so you have a case like that?"

"Yes, I do." Chloe quickly replied, "This is the only reason I came here. This young man shouldn't be in jail. He was just defending himself." She showed him a picture.

"Hm… He looks like an American." Jaha wondered, "Why a Chinese girl defends an American boy? Are you two star-crossing lovers?"

"No, we are not lovers!" Chloe protested, "Why everyone thinks like this?"

"He's cute. You cannot deny that." Jaha suggested, "You should go talk to the station chief about this, not me."

"I already did." Chloe bit her lip. "But…"

"But what? What did he say?"

"He wanted something from me. Saying words like 'will you really do anything for him...'."

"Jeezz, another corrupted Chinese chief. Alright, I will investigate that. If what you said is true, I will personally float him myself."

"No…" Chloe said, "You are missing the point. I don't want to float him. I want to save this man."

Jaha sighed, this girl had a thick scalp, too stubborn for any good, "Was this man in a fight or not?"

"He was, but he was just defending himself." Chloe emphasized on "defending".

 _OK, it seems it will take too long to argue with this young lady._ Jaha thought. _I had a thousand matters to handle, yet I stuck with her. How about I just give her the truth? She seemed harmless._

"Miss… uh…"

"Chloe."

"Alright, Miss Chloe, three months ago, did you see our Hydrofarm 3 exploded?"

"Of course I saw it. That day I worked in the hospital for 48 hours straight. The injuries kept dying on me."

"Good, and thank you for your work." Jaha said, "After losing the hydrofarm 3, do you know how many people we can feed now?"

Chloe shook her head.

"Less than 4000." Jaha said, "You get the picture now?"

Chloe shook her head again.

"OK, let me be very clear with you. We have about 5700 people in the Ark. In 2 months, we need to reduce the population to under 4000. Can you do the math?"

Chloe opened her mouth wide. It was the first time she heard such a cruel number.

"Yup, no doubt now you know, we need to get rid of 1700 people in 60 days, but how? Do you have any ideas?"

Chloe just shook her head slowly.

Jaha sighed. _Yeah, it is not a pleasure to tell an innocent girl such a tough situation. I wished I had another way._

"Right now, the jails are holding 1000 people. Some committed very minor offense like stealing a pen, but soon they need to die too. The first wave of population reduction is to get rid of anyone that has any violent act. So it will be easier for the second wave. Do you get it now?"

Chloe nodded heavily. Only then she realized Mark had no chance of survival. Roughly one out of three Ark people would die in the coming days. Even completely innocent people would be terminated.

"Alright then." Jaha escorted her out of the door, "I have a very busy schedule today. Miss Chloe, sorry but we have to part ways now." He then walked away.

In the middle of the street, Chloe slowly crouched down and cried.

 _How could he give me this bad news like nothing?_ She sadly thought about the horrendous ramification. _So many people will have to die! Why no one seems concerned?! Why they are walking by like nothing bad is happening? There should be panic, chaos, and riots._

Some people stood around and watched her crying with curiosity. Chloe rarely swore, but at that time she couldn't control herself, "What the FUCK are you looking at?" They dispersed.

With lead-filled legs, Chloe started plodding toward her home. The walk became so long, and the whole station became so dark.

When she finally reached her quarter, she couldn't get in. She knew she would be crazy enclosing herself in that tiny space. So she walked on aimlessly.

Eventually she ended up in front of the guard station, hesitated for a long while, but in the end she entered it.

"Hi, Chloe." A guard greeted her warmly, "Come to see the pretty boy again, huh?"

"Yeah, Mr. Wang." She replied with a defeated voice, "I just don't know where else to go."

"Cheer up, miss." Wang smiled at her, "A lovely lady like you should have a good time in a bar, or a club."

Chloe shook her head. _I will only be more alone there._

"What about my nephew? Have you considered seeing him?" Mr. Wang showed a picture again, "He is smart and handsome too, and he definitely likes you."

"No, thank you." Chloe's voice were very low. She practically looked like a zombie.

Mr. Wang sighed and let her pass.

…

"Oh, that's a bummer." Mark said with a sneer, "I will be floated this week? Sure?"

Chloe nodded her head slowly.

"Well, I am surprised that they didn't do it earlier." Mark even tried to joke, "You know how much they hate Americans."

"No, we don't hate you." Chloe explained, "It's not the reason."

"Whatever the reason is, my fate is sealed, so nothing to worry about." Mark put his arms behind his head, relaxing, "Thank you for everything, Chloe! I thought we could get a fuck, but now it's impossible."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Chloe was not prepared for that.

"Well, you know. I thought I could fuck you like I fuck all the other girls." Mark talked casually, "I have sex with so many girls before, but never a Chinese."

Chloe frowned. _Is this the Mark I knew? Who is this guy?_

He kept boasting, "I am attractive and I know it. Everywhere I go, girls are chasing me like flies. I can pick anyone I like, sometimes even two..."

 **PANG...** Chloe hit her fist on the table. Mark was startled, but he kept going, "Too bad, Chloe, you are just one of the hundreds. And look at you, you have wrinkles on your face. How old are you, 30 or 40?" **  
**

Chloe suddenly realized, "Oh, I see. You are pretending to be a playboy."

"Well, I AM a playboy." Mark said with a leering smile, "I had so much fun back in the college."

"Drop your act." Chloe said with teary eyes, "I know you."

"No, you don't know me, Chloe." Mark said, "No one really knows me."

"You were a naughty boy in the highschool. Did a lot of pranks with your step sister." She said, "Then after your favorite uncle passed away, you became a good boy and studied hard. You were in the university when Amber dragged you to the space station, because basically you had no life in the college. Yeah, I know you."

Mark grabbed his hair and knelt down, "I am sorry, Chloe. I am sorry."

"Don't do that to me, please." Chloe's voice was choking, "Don't ever push me away like that!"

Mark shook his head. He cried silently. Tears dropped to the floor one after another.

…...

"Come here, Mark." Chloe asked, "Come hold my hand, please."

Slowly Mark got up and held her hands. He felt Chloe put a little thing in his palm.

"Do it for me and your sister, OK?" She said, "We both cannot lose you."

Mark took a quick look inside his palm. A little green pill appeared.

He whispered, "They will float you too."

Chloe shook her head a little, "I don't care anymore."

…

Life is strange. That day started as Chloe's worst morning, but later it turned out to be her best afternoon, ever.

After the guard station, she went to a casino. Putting 2000 credit in one slot, yet she won. So she threw away all the 20k winning on the street to total strangers.

Then she went to a bar, hooked up with the best looking man there, telling him in a sexy voice to come out to her private quarter, only dumping him on the street with an erected dick.

Then she went to the guard's gun range, Mr. Wang's nephew worked there. So it was easy for her to charm him into giving her a gun to shoot. Wow, the guard's gun really packed a punch! She shot a whole clip of real bullets to get the high.

Then she stepped inside the most expensive store in the whole ring and bought a full set of makeup kit. She needed to be beautiful for him tonight. The kit cost her almost all the remaining credit, but she didn't care.

Back to her tiny quarter, she spent 2 hours to put all sorts of makeup on. Finally she was satisfied with her look. _Wow, do I really look this good?_

…

Wendy was surprised to see her in the hospital. "Hi, Chloe, you look fabulous girl!"

"Thank you, Wendy!" She gave her a sweet smile.

"Wait a minute, who are you and what did you do to Dr. Wu?" Wendy asked, "I never see you so cheerful before."

"I am a cheerful person, right?" Chloe grinned like a Miss China Pageant.

"Yeah, right." Wendy shook her head.

"Wendy, tonight I will be here." Chloe said to her, "You can go home now."

"Seriously?" Wendy was full of suspicion, "You never take the night shift."

"Now I do. Starting tonight." Chloe declared, "Will you come back tomorrow morning?"

"You are really crazy, girl." Wendy stared at her, "And why are you wearing makeup?"

"I want to look pretty." Chloe shrugged, "Isn't that obvious?"

"Are you on drugs or something?" Wendy checked her pulse and iris.

"I am fine. Stop it, Wendy, I am not on drugs."

"OK, ok, just want to be sure. You are just so different than yesterday."

"Come on, Wendy, I have the right to be beautiful, right?"

"Whatever suits you, girl." Wendy shook her head, "I am going home now, before you change your mind."

…

The wait was unbearable. Chloe walked back and forth a thousand times.

Finally at midnight, a guard's vehicle pulled in and a stretcher was rushed in with a man moaning on top.

Chloe's eyes glowed. She jumped to the front door and shouted, "Come in quickly, put him right there…"

Then she froze. The man on the stretcher was not Mark.

 _What the hell is going on? Where is him? Didn't he take the pill already?_

The guard asked her, "Hi, Dr. Wu, wow you look nice tonight!"

" Uh?" She was still processing. "What?"

" Sorry I said that. Here, this guy fell down the stairs. Will you take care of him? Dr. Wu. Hey, Dr. Wu…"

Chloe woke up from her bewilderment, and said, "OK...yeah... I will take care of him. What happened?"

"He fell down some stairs, doctor."

"Oh, so no stomach ache?" She put her hand on his belly. "No vomiting?"

"Uh… I don't think so. Why would he?" The guard asked.

"Sorry, I was distracted." She said, "Yeah, let me give him an X-Ray..."

…

3 days later. In the lowest level of the ring. That was the place only the maintenance workers would go.

"Hey, Chloe, where are you bringing me?" Amber Trudeau didn't like the surrounding at all. All the dirty pipes and half-broken ducts made her uneasy. That place was so filthy.

"Sh…." Chloe put a finger on her lips and whispered, "Don't make a sound. There might be other workers around, and we definitely do not belong here."

Amber also whisper, "Then why we didn't bring Jacob? He can handle anyone."

Chloe shook her head, "No, Jacob is too violent. I don't want anyone to get hurt here. Plus, we girls can handle a dirty worker, right?"

"Look who's talking!" Amber was delighted, "Since when you became a bad girl like this?"

"Since I met you two." Chloe sighed, "The worst thing that ever happened to me."

"Pzzz…" Amber couldn't help a little giggle. "Pot meets the kettle."

Chloe had a smile too. Though she knew Amber was not what she appeared to be, a connection was developed nonetheless. One thing for sure was that Amber wanted to rescue her brother as badly as she did. So by joining force, they would have a better chance of success. So she ignored whoever Amber was, and just focused her energy on saving the man.

They started to crawl into a long metalic duct. Amber wanted to ask her again, but held back. Seemed Chloe knew where she was heading.

"Here, take a look!" Chloe waved at her.

Amber found herself crawling on top of a large transparent window. It was originally not designed like that. Somehow someone just attached this duct to the bottom of the ring and called it a day.

Through the thick gorilla glass, she could see the Earth slowly rotating below. Dark grey clouds covered most of her surface.

"What am I looking at? The Earth?" Amber asked.

"You have to lower yourself and look sideways." Chloe told her, "That way, do you see it?"

Amber put her face to the space-grade glass, and finally saw something like a big cylinder.

"What's that?"

"It's an emergency pod." Chloe proudly presented, "It has enough fuel to take four people down to the Earth."

"Holy shit!" Amber wowed, "How did you even find this thing?"

"I slept with someone, and he told me." Chloe shrugged, "He even brought me here. That's how I can show it to you."

"Damn, girl! Talking about things you do for love!" Amber was genuinely impressed. "Is my brother really this important to you?"

"He didn't take the pill, because he rather die, than getting me involved. Yeah, he's worth it."

"Yup, that's my brother." Amber smiled bitterly, "He wouldn't let me go to Shenzhen Station, and he went there himself."

"Yeah, now we both ended up here, in the lowest level of the ring, with all the dirt and oil" Chloe nodded, "He would have never thought the length we would go to save him."

"Uh… Chloe… There is something I want to tell you…" Amber looked at her with hesitation, "You need to know about me and my brother..."

"Yeah, I know." Chloe said casually, "You love him too, I can tell."

"He...is … not like… a brother… to me." Amber tried her best to explain, " I dreamed of him, like, a lot."

"I understand." Chloe still replied calmly, "From a girl to a girl. I knew you loved him from the first time we met."

"Oh, I am so glad to say it out." Amber exhaled a long breath, "It was killing me for a long time."

"My advice, just tell him what you feel, Amber." Chloe patted her shoulder, "No beating around or playful words, just tell him directly that you love him. Let him decide what to do."

"But will he find me disgusting? He is my brother."

"Like you said, only half brother. He is not related to you in blood." Chloe said, "Give him a chance, and give yourself a chance."

"That's the thing I am afraid the most, Chloe." Amber said, "What if he chooses you, but not me?"

"Then he will still think of you as his sister. You will not lose him."

"What if he chooses me, and not you?"

Chloe was also afraid this might be the case, but still she said, "Then we will be friends, and I will bless you two."

Amber was touched, "Thank you, Chloe! You are like a sister I never had."

"You too, Amber. I wish Mark will choose both of us. Then…"

They both looked at each other, smiled and spoke at the same time, "Then we will share!"

Laughter burst from them. They hugged each other tight.

"Oh, wait. Oh, wait." Chloe suddenly realized something. "It's almost time."

"Time for what?" Amber looked at her curiously.

"Remember those so-called 'experts' said the Earth was not survivable for another 200 years?"

Amber nodded, "Of course. Everyone knows."

Chloe sneered, "I called them bullshit. Right here, right now."

"How do you know?"

"Cause I am a doctor. I learn things based on facts. OK, now only 5 seconds left. Look down, look down."

Amber gazed down at the clouds intensively.

"5...4...3...2...1…" Chloe read her watch, "Now you should see it."

Amber was amazed. She did see it. Out of the vastly dark cloud, a tiny speck of light twinkled like a little star. In only 10 seconds, the tiny light disappear from view.

"My dear Amber, that is the proof of human survival." Chloe said, "One of my friends noticed it for a long time, but he never figured it out what that was. Until..."

She took out a photo, "Until I stole a high-magnification camera and took a photo of it last night."

In the photo, there was a tower like building, with some kind of fire burning on top.

"See, Amber? We humans can, and already survived on the ground for God knows how long."

"Yeeaaaaa…." Amber clapped fast but silently. Chloe gave her a deep bow.

"Chloe, you are the best!" Amber cheered her, "You can do things no one thought possible."

Chloe shrugged, "When no one is suspecting me, it's actually quite easy. Who would have thought I was capable of stealing, cheating, and lying to get things done?"

"So do you have a plan to rescue him?"

"Yes, I do." Chloe said, " But I need your help."

"My help?" Amber was not sure, "What kind of help?"

"I need to create wide-spread chaos in my station. I had some very bad news to upset people, but I don't have the man-power."

"I see." Amber thought about it, "So you want to use my connection to the underground?"

"Precisely. You send some guys to spread some bad rumors in my neighborhood. They will have a riot. The guards will be busy, and that's exactly when we will lead the angry people to charge at the station and rescue everyone inside."

"What kind of rumor can do that?" Amber was curious, "No one is doing any protesting even the Ark wants to kill all the prisoners."

"Believe me. Those are actually not rumors, and they will make your blood boil." Chloe explained, "It can be the last straw that broke the camel."

"OK, suppose we successfully overwhelm the guards and get in the station. Then what? How do we even open the gates?"

Chloe had an uneasy grin, "I know that station like the back of my hand. I know who's brave, who's weak, who's in charge, and who has the key. Once I have a gun, I will make them open the gates."

"My God!" Amber eyes turned round. "I thought I was the evil sister."

"Sometimes angels and demons are just with different sides." Chloe stated, "My parents always said I can accomplish anything, if only I set my mind to it. I think they are right..."

"Hey… You two!" Suddenly a strong flashlight pointed at them. "What the hell are you girls doing down here?"

Amber tried to speak, but Chloe put a finger on her and stopped her.

Chloe sounded like a little underage girl, "Oh, we are just waiting for Mr. Yuan to come back here. He is showing us the Earth. Yaaa, it's so beautiful!"

"Mr. who? You say?" The man with the flashlight seemed a little undecided.

"Mr. Yuan Chen Ping. Your boss, I guess." Chloe replied, "You can talk to him when he gets here."

"Uh… You two just stay there." the man was retreating. "You never saw me, OK?"

"Alright, no problem." Amber also spoke like a little girl, giving Chloe a thumbs up.

Gracefully Chloe bowed again.


	6. Chapter 6 - Polis

Revision 1.0

===#===#===

In sleep, Whitman was back to be Helen again.

This time, she could hear the noise of the old car. The puffing and cranking gave her a familiar warm feeling. Yeah, that was the car which carried them through the long trip.

She was the only survivor of the limo accident. No one knew exactly what happened. The report was that the limo lost control and went down a cliff. However, her father took her out of the hospital the same day with bandages still on her head. They were on the road ever since. During that trip, her father always used cash. He would change the motel in the middle of the night, and he always looked back and forth in alert. Helen didn't know what they were running from, or what her father was scared of. She just followed what he said unconditionally.

"Helen, honey, wake up." Once again, it was dad's voice.

"Where are we now?" Helen rubbed her eyes and sat up from the back seat. She immediately found out their car was surrounded by many high rise buildings.

"New Metro. My dear, this is New Metro. Where our lives start again." Dad said it cheerfully.

"Wow! Look at that one! It is almost like a real rocket!" Helen pointed at the Eligius tower.

"Yup, I will not be surprised if that's a real one. They are the biggest space exploration company in the world, after all."

"Oh, dad! How about that one? It looks so beautiful!" Helen pointed to another building with graceful curves.

"That, my dear, is Franco Genetics. The most profitable company in the world. They made machines that could alter your DNA, forever."

"Wow, that is crazy!" Helen gaze at that building amazed. "No wonder it looks like a huge double helix."

"Yup, this city hosts the HQs of the top 10 biggest companies on Earth. Just look at that skyline. Isn't the view wonderful?"

"It is. Wow, dad, will you take me to those big big buildings one day?" Helen begged, "Please, please, please…"

"With time, I will." Father smiled, "You know my promise is true."

"Of course. Thank you dad!" Helen crawled to the front seat and gave her dad a kiss on the cheek.

"My naughty little girl." He grinned, "I will protect you with my life, you know that, right?"

"Yes, I know." Helen giggled, "And I will protect you with mine too."

"Yeah, right." He laughed out loud.

…

The car stopped in front of a tall cylindrical building. It had around 50 floors, but compared to the giants nearby, it practically looked like a dwarf.

Father pressed a buzzer and said, "Hi, my name is Daniel Graham. I come here for the security job."

A speaker spoke, "Mr. Graham, our new brother! Welcome to the Mega Tower! Come in, come in."

The garage gate opened, and their car slowly pulled in with dark smoke.

"Alright, here is the drill." Going down the serpentine driveway, Daniel prepared Helen for the interview, "Those are not the same people we see everyday. You will find them … uh… a little bit off."

"No problem dad, I can handle that." Helen smiled, "No one's perfect."

"Good girl! Remember that they are the only one who's willing to shelter us and protect us, when the rest of the world just leave us to the wolves. So cut them some snack when you see things you don't like, alright?"

"No worries." Helen duly noted it. "Did I ever disappoint you?"

"Hm… Let me think..." Daniel pretended to be considering.

"Dad, seriously."

He laughed, "OK, the answer is no. You never disappointed me. To escape from those contract killers, you did everything I asked you to along the whole trip. You lost all your friends and your stuff, yet you never complained. I am proud of you."

"As long as I still have you, Dad, I'm OK." Helen hugged him again, then cheerfully said, "Let's go get them, tiger!"

…

They took the elevator in the garage and went directly to the top floor, where a penthouse opened for them.

"Welcome, brother, may our Lord Cadogan blesses you." A middle-age man extended his hand to Daniel.

"Thank you for allowing us to join you! Mr. Braun"

"Just call me Ben, please." The man seemed friendly enough.

"Alright, Ben. This is my little girl Helen. She just reached 11." Helen waved to him with a little shyness.

"Hi, Helen, so glad you can be here with your father." Ben Braun nodded at her, then asked both to sit.

"First, let me be very clear. This is not a company or a charity, this is a brotherhood, a big family. We don't count money the way like outside. Here we all work together, but we don't get paid..."

Helen gave her father a look, but Daniel just shook his head slightly.

"... Instead we have a strict pyramid style level system. The higher the level, the more authority you will have. You are now level one, which means no salary, but don't worry about it. If you need money for anything, just ask one of your higher level members, they will help you out."

Helen couldn't help asking, "But how do we pay rent?"

"You girl is smart." Ben praised her, "The answer is 'you don't need to'. Here you will sleep in our apartments. You will eat our food, and you will have clothes that others pass down. So basically you don't need money to live. Did I answer your question clearly, young lady?"

Helen frowned, but she nodded.

Daniel asked, "But what if I need a bus ride? I promised my little girl to see the tall buildings..."

"We will arrange the transportation for you. You just need to ask." Ben replied. "In fact, now your own car is considered a public property. Each of us can use it. We call this communal sharing. It might take some time to get use to it. But I assure you, when the time passes, you will find it makes more sense. Why a perfectly functional car can be only used by two people, but not everyone in the building? Our way is much more efficient."

"OK, I get it, Ben." Daniel said, "In this community we share everything. No more private properties, right?"

"Yes, that's the spirit." Ben was glad for his reply. "When nuclear bombs hit the city, private properties no longer mean anything. In a post-apocalyptic world, we all need to band together and share everything to survive. Our lord says it over and over, the day of reckoning is coming fast. We need to practice the new way to live, before it even happens."

"You know what?" Daniel pat on his knee, " I completely agree with you, my brother. When the bomb drops, who will still need money? No, we should all live together, and survive together."

"Very good, Mr. Graham!" Ben nodded, "With this mindset, I am sure you and your daughter will do very well in this new big family. From the Ashes We Rise!"

Helen wanted to say something, but her father's finger gave her a little wag, so she kept her silence.

"Just one more question, if I may." Daniel asked, "If this is such a big harmonious family, why do you still need security people like me?"

"Oh, for that, you have to find it out yourself." Ben smiled, "I am sure you will figure it out soon enough."

….

Joe Whitman woke up and pondered. This dream was not bad, almost felt good. So he tried to ask Becca, "Hey, Becca, you there?"

"Yes, Whitman, I am right here." Becca's image showed up.

"Did you see my dream, Becca?"

"Oh, silly, of course I cannot. How is it?"

"I saw Helen again, but this time it was good. She seemed happy in it."

"Of course, not all memories are bad. Helen must have her happy days too."

"But why I always dream of her memories, but not yours?"

"Well… I … uh…"

"What is it?"

"I designed this chip, so I know how to seal up my memories. I bet Helen doesn't know. So you always see her memories in your dream."

"Could you teach her how to close down her memories? I feel like a pervert who always peeking at a little girl's life."

Becca looked upset, "I wish I could do that. Helen is hiding deep inside this matrix. I couldn't find her, let alone teaching her anything. I called out to her a thousand times, but she never answered."

"OK, I give it up for now." Whitman let out a long sigh, and saw two men staring at him with strange expression.

 _Huh, I guess this is the same way I used to look at Helen._ Whitman felt it quite ironic. _Now it's my turn to be the crazy._

"What? You have never seen me talking to Becca before?"

They both shook their heads, thinking he had some mental issues.

Whitman sneered, "Get use to it." Then he realized something, "Wait, who let you two get in here? I thought Ethan prohibited any one to come down to the hospital basement."

"Uh… Commander?" one of them asked tentatively, "Flame Keeper… Uh… Ethan told us to get you to Becca's temple. Something very important, he said."

"Fuck that little devil! What now?" He mumbled, "Then who will take care of Nicole here? Can't you see she is still in pain?"

"I will, Sir." An old woman came in. "I am here to replace you."

"Are you a nurse?" Whitman asked.

"Of course I am. 30 years of experience."

"Where were you 2 weeks ago? Canada?"

"What do you mean, sir?" the woman couldn't understand, "I was always here in Polis."

"That evil bastard!" Whitman couldn't help cursing. _Ethan had all the people he could use, but still made me taking care of Nicole for 2 straight weeks! I was so bad at being a nurse! So much embarrassment and so much humiliation!_

Uncontrollably some images of Nicole's naked body came up to his mind. _My Goodness! I have seen too much of her body! Something just cannot be unseen._

"Alright then," He tried not to think of that, "You need to grind those red weeds into fine paste, put new layer of it on her wound every 8 hours. And remember mix her food with some green mold here…"

"I got it, I got it." The woman took over the bowl.

"Uh… Sorry, Commander." a man asked, "Shall we go?"

"Right behind you." Whitman ground his teeth. _I am going to find that little shit and strangle him._

…...

Not surprisingly, there were around 10 strong men guarding the hospital entrance, Whitman pushed them aside to get out. They all bowed to him, "Commander!"

It took a few moments for Whitman to adjust to the outdoor sunlight, and he was surprised to see a lot more people walking around on the streets.

It was like suddenly the city had a couple thousand people more during the days he was in the basement.

 _How long was I down there?_ He wondered. _Two_ _weeks? Or a month?_

…

A very delicious smell went into his nose. He took a deep breath. _Wow, is that bacon I am smelling?_

Then he saw it. On the street, a vendor's stand featuring a barbecue grill lined with big fat rats sizzling on it. Oh, gross! Whitman turned his head sideways.

Yet the seller was quite insistent, "Mister, this is the best meat you can find in the whole Polis, at least try one please! Only cost one Becca coin..."

A man behind Whitman scolded him, "This is the Commander! How dare you charge him?"

"Oh, I am sorry, very sorry, Commander! Please try one skew, any one, no charge!"

Whitman was starving, and the smell was simply too good, so he took one and bite. _OMG! The meat is so juicy, and tasted like chicken! It practically brought back the memory of KFC!_ He finished one quickly and ask for a second.

"See? I knew you would like it, our honorable Commander." the seller put some more seasoning on the fat rats, and the smell became even better.

"Where did you find those delicious critters?" While biting a big chunk of meat, Whitman asked the seller.

"Where else? In the tower of bones, of course. They were fed by human fresh for years…"

Yukkk! Whitman threw away the half-finished rat like burning charcoal. He tried to vomit, but nothing came back out.

"Why didn't you tell me, you bastard?!" Whitman was mad.

The seller spread his palms, "I am so so sorry, Commander! I am just following Becca's words. Blood for blood, fresh for fresh. Those rats ate us, so we eat them back."

"Becca's words? Did she ever tell you to eat rats?" Whitman was amused, "I was with her for several months, yet never heard such things."

"Wow! You are with our Savior? For real?" The KFC rat seller were thrilled.

Whitman nodded proudly.

"What did she look like? In the temple I saw her image. Is she really a black woman?"

"No, her skin is pale like me. And she's kinda pretty."

"Thank you for the compliment!" Whitman could hear Becca's voice. He smiled.

Another stranger came close and asked, "Did she really come from the sky?"

"Oh, yeah," Whitman approved it, "That's 100 percent correct."

"So it's true that she's an angel coming down to save all of us?"

"Not exactly." Whitman carefully considered it. " She did come down to save us, but…"

That man couldn't wait for him to finish, "So she IS the daughter of God, but her father sacrifice her for our sin?"

"No, no, this is way way wrong!" Whitman shook his head, "You have no idea what kind of father she had..."

"Not the almighty, all loving one?" That man obviously was a religious fanatic.

Whitman laughed, "Haha, no, her father is more like a devil."

One of bystanders suddenly raised his voice, "See? I told you guys. Becca was a witch. I heard her confession with my own ears. She was sent by her demon father and she wanted to kill all of us…"

"Hey, hey, hey…You there." Whitman angrily tried to grab that guy, "Shut the fuck up! You know nothing! She said that to save your sorry ass. Show some fucking gratitude!"

"Please, Commander!" the two men following had to hold him back and urge him. "We got to go to the temple. Flame Keeper and others are waiting."

"Who?" Whitman didn't get it right away.

"Flame Keeper... Ethan, he wanted us to call him that."

"Flame keeper. Pzzzz..." He raised his eyesight, and saw the bright torch burning on top of the 50-floor tower. "Yeah, I get it. He is determined to pass the flame like he said. Becca, it seems he doesn't heed your advice."

Becca stayed quiet.

…

Inside the Becca's temple, her escape pod was still there, but now covered with many candles. The letters "POL...IS" were still prominent.

The floor was added a new layer of thick carpet, so no one could see the metal gate below it.

In the center, about 20 people sat in a circle, they were the leaders of nearby villages. Around a hundred other people stood around.

Holding a staff, the child genius Ethan stood in the middle of the circle, with a new burning fire tattoo on his face. He saw Whitman came in, so he announced aloud, "All RISE! The Commander is HERE!" His voice was still a 13-year-old, but everyone listened to it. They stood up and greeted Whitman, "Commander!"

Whitman couldn't help saluting them and said, "At ease. Gentlemen…" then he saw some female leaders, "...and Ladies."

All leaders sat and watched him with full attention. Somehow it gave him a feeling of grandeur, like he was back to the Situation Room in the White House, where he gave President Wallace a Special Op. briefing.

"First of all…" He started slow, "I have to be honest with all of you. I personally didn't want to be the Commander. I joined the Conclave simply because I want to help Bryan. I didn't expect an outcome like this, and I wouldn't have accepted Becca's spirit, if I were awake..."

Ethan interrupted him, "But once you stepped on that stage, Mr. Whitman, you already agreed to accept all the terms, and assumed to be a potential Commander."

"I know, I know…" Whitman really hated it when someone interrupted him, especially that boy. " You know what? Let me tell you straight. I don't want to be the Commander, AT ALL. It's a freaking curse! I don't belong here. I am not one of you, how can I be your leader? In a battlefield, soldiers died for the one next to him, but will you die for me, a total outsider?"

 **STOMP!** Ethan hit his staff on the ground hard, effectively stopped Whitman's grumbling. The kid stood up and stated, "I WILL. For Becca's spirit alone, I will DIE for you." Other leaders also concurred. Some cheered, and some even started to chant "Commander, Commander..."

 _What the hell? This little demon!_ Whitman hadn't expected that to happen. _This meeting is in the very wrong direction!_

He opened his arms, "People, leaders, please calm down. I am only telling you the obvious. Stop clapping please... Becca, come out, help me out here please."

Everyone turned quiet when he mentioned Becca. Hundreds of eyes focused on him.

"Come on Becca, I need you now." Whitman was a little nervous with so much attention.

It took only a few long seconds, finally he was happy to see Becca standing next to him.

"Yeah, thank you, Becca!" Whitman smiled, "Thank you for showing up!" He gestured to the air, though no one see anything.

 **Papapapa…** Applause suddenly rose like thundering. Cheering, foot thudding and happy screaming spread like waves. The whole temple was shaking.

 _What is going on?_ Whitman was surprised by the crowd's strong reaction. _Why you guys are so happy?_ He took a look at Ethen the Flame Keeper, and found him having a grin so large that almost filled up his whole face. Then he realized.

 _Oh, SHIT! I just demonstrated to everyone that I can summon Becca at any time! Even Helen couldn't do it._

The realization hit him like a hammer. Now all of them will regard him as the legit Commander. No one will ever want to replace him.

He looked at Becca, and she shrugged, "Why you have to ask me to come out?"

"Come on, Becca," He almost begged, "Tell me that you have a way to remove this freaking thing from my neck."

"Yeah, of course there is one." Becca sadly said, "You could have it removed within the first two hours. But after that, the chip will be fully integrated with the brain. If you take it out now, you will die within minutes."

 _Oh, no, oh, fucking NO!_ Whitman almost collapsed on a chair. _I will be the fucking Commander for the rest of my life?! What about my own life in Mount Weather? What about my wife and my son?_

" **Are you guys all out of your minds?** " Suddenly a little girl's voice rose from behind the cheering crowd. It was surprisingly loud, and pierced through all the noise around. "Can't you see that he is not a Commander's material !"

"Oh! Finally, thank you!" Whitman felt like someone just threw him a life jacket.

People split away to let that girl come forward. Judging by the small slim face, she looked to be the same age as Ethan, just a little taller. She wore a strange leather coat patched with wolf skin and ox-hide, with matching mixed leather shoes. Some black marks prominently displayed on one side of her face. One thing special was her piercing green eyes. Everyone she looked at, people felt a little chill.

Two big guys, who also wore coats of animal skins, stepped behind her like two towers. Though they were both twice her size, it seemed they were the inferiors.

"Come here young lady." Whitman waved at her, "Come and tell everyone why you think so. People, quiet! I want you to listen to her." He pointed at the girl.

The girl glanced at him with contempt.

"Ah, Nausica… You finally showed up." Ethan seemed to know the girl. "Everyone, let me introduce our guest..."

"No need to." the girl interrupted him. "I will do the introduction myself." She walked to the center and started talking aloud. She looked small, but her voice packed with power. Everyone in the temple could hear it easily.

"My name is Nausica from the Windy Valley. I am the first second of our Red Queen, Nathalia of Azgeda…"

"Wait, wait…" Whitman couldn't help asking, "Ass get what?"

The girl shot him an angry look, yet she continued, " I know most of you have never heard of a nation named 'AZGEDA'. I don't blame you. Though we have existed for thousands of years, we never revealed ourselves to you."

She took a chair and stood on it, so everyone could see her, "Our old home was near the arctic circle of Canada. For three thousand years, we kept our distance from you, because we know how corrupted and how vile you humans are. Throughout your history, there were always wars and atrocities one after another. We Azgedian are proud and honorable people. We don't want to get tainted by your corrupted souls, and your poor ways of finding a good leader."

She pointed at Whitman, "... Look at this senile old man! Is this the best you can do? If he really is your leader, I'd say you're ALL DOOMED."

Whitman opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.

"Shut up little girl. What do you know about us?" Someone protested. Others also concurred, "Yeah, who the hell you think you are?"

Nausica held her head high, "As I said before, I am the First Second of our Red Queen. She has a message, a warning for all of you, because she's merciful. She doesn't want anyone to die."

"Wow, wow…" Whitman cut in, "Why anyone will die, at all?"

Nausica took out a little book, "We had a prophecy for over 2000 years, in the first page it says, ' **Pas houd fleim op, oso Raz Heiplana hon wigod in Hitri de Soncha."**

Obviously no one understood that, so she translated it, "This roughly means, 'After the world burns, the Red Queen will find her salvation in the tower of light.'"

A wave of murmuring occurred, people looked at each other bewildered.

Nausica didn't mind their looks, and continued, "You see? This apocalypse was already predicted thousands of years ago. Right now is the time to fulfill the prophecy. Our Queen will come and occupy the tower of light. There is nothing you can do about it."

Being quiet for a long while, Ethan suddenly spoke up, "Nausica of Windy Valley, We have no beef with you. Your Queen can come in and take the tower. We don't mind. No one wants to get in there anyway."

"But we mind." The little girl swept her sight over everyone around, "We Azgedian don't share territories. We don't want your filthy culture influence us. So all of you have to leave the city, or you will face our wrath..."

"Your wrath?" Ethan frowned, "Does that mean you will kill all of us, if we don't leave?"

"Exactly!"

Her word was like a little bomb detonated among the crowd. Everyone suddenly was shouting insults.

Whitman looked at the girl with widened eyes. _I expected you to help me, but now you drop this on me!_

Ethan raised his staff, and everyone started to quiet down.

He asked her, "We have guns and ammo. What do you have?"

Nausica sneered, "We had thousands of years of hunting and killing. Each of us can kill one hundred of you silently." She pointed to the wolf skin on her shoulder, "This wolf wanted to eat me, and I wanted to eat him. It didn't work out for him. I was only 8 at the time."

"Yeah, you can fight. I have no doubt." Ethan said, "But that's only men versus animal. As you already know, we humans have thousands of years of cheating, lying and fighting among ourselves. If you talk about a war between humans, we are the masters of it."

Nausica refuted, "Yet, we know everything about you, and you know almost nothing about us." She pointed at herself, "I spent years learning your language, your lifestyle and your way of thinking, but what do you have of us? Basically nothing."

"This is not true." Whitman suddenly said, "Becca knows something about you."

Nausica had a little startle in her eyes, "What?"

"Becca was a gene scientist, maybe you already know." Whitman said, "There was an expedition group who caught one of you in the Northern Canada. We thought that was a wolf-child."

"Oh, that…" Nausica relaxed, "That boy committed suicide right after the capture, as he was supposed to do."

"But the DNA report remained," Whitman repeated after Becca, "Which is very disturbing. If that child shared the same gene with you, then all of you cannot live over 45 years old."

Nausica froze. Everyone saw it. Her enlarged iris betrayed her pretended calmness.

"For some reason your DNA shows damages from high level of radiation. You guys have been living in areas with nuclear waste?"

Nausica didn't say anything, but her twisted face admitted it.

"I am sorry for what we humans had done to you. It must have been very hard. Your ancestors land became the dumping ground of our nuclear waste."

Whitman himself was shocked by the fact. Nausica was just biting her lips.

"But why came down now?" Whitman asked for Becca, "Why walked all the way from the north? The whole world is contaminated. Our city was especially bad."

"For the prophecy, Becca." Nausica finally replied, "Didn't you hear what I just said?"

"Prophecy is very unreliable." Whitman analyzed, "The Red Queen might be someone else, and tower of light might be some other buildings."

Nausica shook her head, "No, our queen is the only one with red skin throughout the whole history. And where else could have a tower of light, other than this?" She pointed at the direction of Mega Tower. "The fire on top of that tower can be seemed 50 miles away!"

"I have an island with a lighthouse, the beacon is still working." Whitman knew what Becca referred to, "There we have state-of-the-art medical equipment. Maybe your Queen should go there?"

Nausica laughed, "Haha! What a joke! We will not fall for your lies. THIS is the tower, and we will come and take the city, whether you like it or not."

"So there is no room for negotiation?" Ethan asked, "Can I or the Commander see your Queen?"

Nausica jumped down from the chair, "I said it very clearly already. You stay, and you die." She tried to walk away, but some guards blocked her way.

"Really?" She sneered, "Are you guys really want to fight me?" The two big guys took out their weapons, and the mood of the temple suddenly became very intense.

Ethan threatened her, "We have a hundred fighters right here, and you only have three. I suggest you surrender."

"No, I suggest you be smart and let us go." Nausica said in a stone-cold voice, "Among you, the only one qualified as a fighter is your ex-Commander, and she's dead. Now imagine three Helen fight against you. What kind of outcome will that be?"

"Becca said she's right." Whitman suddenly said, "We have to let them go. Don't want to start the war just yet."

Guards lowered their weapons. People moved aside to let those three pass.

Whitman looked at the little girl's back and cursed. _I was thinking about leaving the city, but now those Damned Azgedian just waltzed in and completely ruined my plan. How could I leave them, knowing the city Polis is in an existential crisis?_

He felt all the eyes focused on him again. "What? Why you guys look at me like that?"

Ethan asked, "Commander, do you still want to go away?"

Whitman froze. At that time, he clearly didn't have the answer.

Ethan fetched a long Bushido blade, "This is the one Becca used. I think it's time you take it."

Whitman looked at its laser-sharp edge, and the chilling silver sheen it reflected. The hilt still had the infinity symbol ∞ on it.

 _It brought back so much memory of Becca!_ Whitman thought. _Since the day I met her, she had always been carrying this blade. Fighting for survival, killing the Second Dawns, and leading her people to the next victory... People will charge at wherever this blade points to, not concerning their own lives. This is another Becca's legacy._

With a very heavy heart, he held the hilt and lifted the blade up.

" **FOR BECCA!** " People exploded again. " **FOR BECCA!** " The whole city was trembling with a tsunami of battle cry.


	7. Chapter 7 - Suckers

Revision 1.0

===#===#===

Up in the space, the Ark was experiencing the first ever jail breaking.

After the "rumor" of the Ark planning to kill 1700 people spread like wildfire, the Shenzhen Station suddenly had hundreds of people gathering in the center square, and each of them chanting "Free the Prisoner", "No Mass Killings" "Sic Semper Tyrannis" ...

Security guards originally stood their ground and let them vented their anger. However, after just a couple hours of confrontation. Suddenly things got much worse. Those hundreds of people started to sing the National Anthem of China, "Rise up, the people who don't want to be slaves. Let our blood form the new Great Wall…" In history, that song was a war cry against Japanese invaders, but in that moment it became the driving force to invoke a French revolution against the Bastille. As everyone's blood boiling by the anthem, a girl just yelled "LET'S GO FREE OUR COMRADES!" Then all those demonstrators surged at the Guard Station and broke inside.

The few officers in the guard station couldn't have expected things deteriorated so fast. When finally stood up and tried to run, they already tackled down by angry mobs.

"Mr. Wang." Among the mob was Chloe Wu, the nice Chinese girl. She was wielding a gun.

"Chloe?! What are you doing here?" Officer Wang couldn't believe his eyes. "Get out of here. Those guys are dangerous."

"You got it wrong. The dangerous one is me." Chloe waved to someone, "It was me who brought them here."

Another guard was forced to put down on a chair and got tied up. Chloe watched Mr. Wang's reaction coldly.

"Now, Mr. Wang." Chloe showed her gun to him again, making sure he knew it was real, "You have to give me the code to the gate, or I will shoot Mr. Ye, right here, right now."

Officer Wang refused, "Chloe, this is not you! You can't be doing this. Please stop!"

Chloe put her gun barrel to the temple of Officer Ye and said, "Mr. Wang, don't test me. Tell me the code, or I will kill your partner in 5 seconds." She looked deadly serious.

"No, you don't." Mr. Wang was still insisting, "You are a nice girl. I know you…"

"5...4...3...2...1…" Chloe closed her eyes and pulled the trigger.

 **PANGGGGGG…**

The gun shot temporarily shocked the crowd, and Mr. Wang.

"Mr. Wang...your partner... is dead." Chloe said it with whole body trembling, "Now… it's … your turn." She pointed the gun at him.

Officer Wang just closed his eyes, waiting.

"5...4...3...2...1…" Chloe finished the count down, yet she didn't shoot.

He squinted his eyes open, and found Chloe stared at him directly, "Unfortunately I knew you would not comply, Mr. Wang. You are the toughest nut I have to crack in this whole event."

He swung his head away and watched the chaos happening: Angry people burning documents and furniture, breaking any computer equipment, but most dangerous of all, was the girl right in front of him, who were wiping blood from her pretty face.

Seeing his fear, Chloe got close to his head and whispered in his ear, " Officer, right now if you still don't tell me the code, I will walk out of this station..."

Mr. Wang shot her a surprised look.

"...Then I will look for your nephew, wherever he is now. It's easy because I have his number. I will tell him I am in danger, and he will come to me as fast as he can. Then I will put a bullet in his head, like I did to Mr. Ye. You will lose the last one you care on this God Damned ring. Do you want that?"

She started to walk out, and Mr. Wang yelled, "NO, NO, STOP, Chloe, STOP!"

… …

 **Kuanggggg…**

All the jail gates were opened. Out came all the confused criminals, along with Mark Trudeau.

Chloe found him immediately, "Come on, Mark. Let's go."

Mark's was puzzled, "What happened? Why all the chaos?"

"No time. Let's go." She grabbed his hand and ran. Strangely, while everyone going up to the entrance, she brought him down to the basement.

"Do you have anything to do with this, Chloe?" He kept asking questions. "What did you do?"

Chloe put a finger on his lips, and said in a low voice, "Everything. I did everything for you."

...

The alarm was blaring. PA speakers shouted out, "All United Ark Force units go to Shenzhen station. All United Ark Force units…"

Chloe and Mark appeared out of a sewage tunnel. Amber and Jacob were already there waiting with clean clothes. Both of them quickly changed their clothes right there on the street with little obstruction. People passed by like nothing was happening.

"Thank you, Amber!" Chloe didn't forget to praise her, "Your people did a great job..."

Amber shook her head slightly. Chloe stopped her words in the middle. _She still doesn't want her brother to know? OK, no problem._

"What do you mean by that?" Mark asked, "What people?"

Chloe immediately covered for her, "American people, of course, they did the protest as well."

"Where?" Mark asked, "Seems very quiet here."

Amber took up the conversation, "Oh, brother, very nice to finally see you!" She hugged him with a passion.

Mark was embarrassed with her hug, and he showed a little grimace to Chloe. Chloe just smiled.

"Alright, people. It's very touching for the reunion." Jacob spoke coldly like he always did, "But no time for this. We still have a Zero-G engineer to kidnap."

"What?!" Obviously Mark was the only one in the dark.

"That I can guarantee you." Chloe said, "He will not be harmed."

"Except the moment we grabbed him." Jacob added.

"Did anyone tell you you always said too much?" Amber asked.

Jacob looked at her and smiled, "All the time." He tried to hold Amber's waist, but only got a spanking in the arm.

Chloe nodded to others, "We have come this far. Let's do this!"

… …

To their surprise, when they got into the engineer's quarter, there were 10 fully armed security guards and Chancellor Jaha waiting for them.

"Chloe, Chloe, Chloe…" Michael Jaha spoke slowly like he always did, "A good girl can turn this bad! I am really surprised."

Chloe looked down and didn't say anything.

Mark asked the same question again, "What did she do? Can someone tell me?"

Jaha replied, "She really did quite a lot. Starting with hurting my testicles for two days!"

Everyone shot a surprised look at him, which Jaha quickly realized, "No, no, it's not the way you think. I never had any sexual relationship with this girl."

He pointed at the Zero-G engineer next to him, "But she had the fun with him a couple of times, am I right?"

Mark glared at Chloe with mouth opened. She kept looking down. Mark shot a look at his sister, and found his sister was not surprised at all. _You all knew it? Chloe had sex with this guy 30 years older than her? My Goodness! No wonder Chloe said "I did everything for you"._ He felt very guilty.

Jaha continued, "But of course this is not the biggest crime you have committed, is it? No, you twisted and spread my words to provoke the biggest chaos in the Ark's history…"

"What history?" Jacob asked, "The Ark was founded only..."

"Shut up!" Jaha stopped him, "Keep quiet or I will make you."

Jacod shrugged.

"Where was I ?" Jaha said, "Oh, yes, the chaos. Chloe, you must be very happy that now the whole Ark are angry at us. Shenzhen might be just the first one to riot, other stations will follow shortly. We are going to have very busy days, thanks to you!"

Chloe kept her silence.

He continued, " And you could have gotten away, if not I happened to receive anonymous complain that our chief Zero-G Engineer is a pedophile."

He pointed at an old man in the corner, " He told me everything about you. I started to make the connection. And lo and behold, huge chaos in Shenzhen station! Guard Station was overwhelmed. Some officers were dead. At that time, I knew your next move must be here, to blackmail him into giving you an escape pod. Am I right?"

Chloe looked blankly at the floor, didn't say anything.

He continued, " Actually I admire your determination. Your reach-your-goal-by-any-means attitude. I wished I had known you much earlier, before this whole thing ever happened. You could have been a great help with us."

Chloe was surprised to hear that. She raised her head toward Jaha.

"Yeah, being a leader in this giant ring is not an easy job. Everyday I have to determine who lives and who dies. If you only worked with me for one day, you will agree with my approach. I am sure of that."

Chloe shook her head, "No, you cannot force your decision on us. You are not God."

"But where is God when 6.5 billion people died down there?" Jaha asked, "Where is God when nearly 300 people died in Hydrofarm 3? You were the doctor, you know what happened that day!"

Tears went down Chloe's cheeks. The memory of that day forever engraved in her heart. She still remembered each victim's cold face when she wrapped them up in body bags.

"Yeah, I knew you are still that doctor." Jaha took a good look at her, " I knew you still cared."

"Why she doesn't care?" Mark asked anxiously, "Can someone tell me?"

Jaha made a snap of fingers, and Mark's mouth was sealed with duct tape.

Then he looked into Chloe's watery eyes and said, "I can execute all of you. That's an easy decision, but I want something different. Something that you can repay me for sparing your lives."

He glanced at the Zero-G engineer. "You really want to go down to the ground, right?"

Chloe nodded slowly.

"Even the ground is not survivable?"

Chloe raised her head, "No, you are wrong. There are people living down there."

"Do you have any proof?"

Chloe shook her head. She shred that photo already.

"OK, then you know that going down means certain death, right?"

Chloe shook her head, "No, it means a new life, with…" She looked at Mark.

 **Papapa….** Jaha clapped, "Wow, what a love story! The princess did everything to rescue the Prince Charming!" He held Mark's handsome angled jaw, "You think he's worth it?"

Chloe and Amber nodded.

"Good! Then let me complete your fairy tale!" Jaha decided, "I will give you a much bigger drop ship, which can hold 100 people. You, Chloe, get to choose who will be the best candidate to survive on the ground. We will put small bracelets on your wrists to monitor your health. The only condition I asked, is that you and your people never took the bracelets off. Deal?"

"Only 100?" Chloe asked, "Can the ship fit more?"

"It will be a miracle itself to find 100 people willing to follow you to death." Jaha said, "Plus, we will only provide enough food for 2 weeks. If more people come, your survival time will be shorter."

Chloe was silent for a while, calculating her moves, then said, "I will decide where to land, not you."

"Of course." Jaha agreed, "We will make sure you land in your hometown back in China."

"No, not China." Chloe said, "Somewhere in Canada."

"Sure?" Jaha was doubtful. "What's in Canada?" Then he saw Mark's surprised face, "Oh, I get it. Someone should nominate you as the 'Best Girlfriend of the Year'." He extended his hand to Chloe, "So do we have a deal now?"

Chloe took his hand and shook.

…

One week later, the drop ship and the 100 candidates were ready. Mostly consist of felonies of capital offenses. They were not randomly chosen though. Chloe did a lot of investigation of each criminal's background and their skills. There were a few exceptions, like Iman Jaha, Chancellor's nephew. He even volunteered to be on it.

Without Amber's "friends", the riot in Shenzhen was quickly oppressed. More people ended up in jail. People were scared more than ever. The only thing that gave them hope, was the "Journey of the 100". If those 100 could survive on the ground, it would mean all of them would do too. There would be no need for the population reduction any more. Therefore, the farewell ceremony gained the attention of all the remaining 5600 Ark people. It became a huge event. Michael Jaha himself came to the ceremony. As the Counselor, he seized this chance to portray himself as a virtuous leader.

"People of the Ark, today will be a day that forever written in history, whether we discover that the ground is livable again, or our candidates pay their ultimate price. Today we celebrate their courage, we celebrate their commitment to the Ark."  
A loud wave of applause rose. Jaha felt great for the opening.

"I still remember how lost we were, just three years ago." Jaha recounted the early days, "With the heightened radiation from the Earth, we didn't even know we could survive a month or not. It was Becca Franco who saved us from the despair. Her Polaris station saved all of us, making us stronger under radiation, and since then we had been making much more improvement. The very Ark we are standing on is the living proof of what we humans can achieve even with limited resources..."

People of the whole ring was tuned in to his speech. Most of them nodded, remembering how far they had gone since the apocalypse.

"It was with great regret that we found out Becca was also developing a dangerous AI, and we had to blow up Polaris Station with her. Yet her words were still echoing in my heart. Today they are more relevant than ever."

Then he started to recite that famous poem every Ark person knew:

 **In Peace May You Leave the Shore,  
In Love May You Find the Next,  
** **Safe Passage On Your Travels,  
** **Until Our Final Journey on the Ground.**

Everyone recited the poem with him. Over the years the poem went through small changes, and it became the standard blessing for everyone who was about to start a new journey.

The whole Ark was silent for 10 long seconds.

Jaha finally announced, "Our hearts and wishes are with the 100 pioneers onboard the drop ship. I hope they will bring back good news, like a dove once brought back an olive branch for Noah. Finally, this is for them: **May We Meet Again!** "

The whole Ark echoed, **May We Meet Again.**

… …

Inside the drop ship, some criminals instinctively said it too, " **May We Meet Again!** "

Chloe had a grimace, "No, I don't want to meet them, ever again."

Mark was next to her, "Why not? They didn't float us, right?"

Chloe explained, "They used us as a propaganda tool. Promoting us as 'the new hope'. No, we are just their lab rat running their experiments."

Mark didn't agree, "But this experiment is extremely important for their survival, right?" He presented his electric bracelet. "With this they will know the Earth is survivable again, they could finally come down and live good lives, like you and me."

Chloe smiled, "Did anyone tell you that you speak like a boy scout?"

"Yes, Ma'am." He tried to salute, "We are 100 percent honest."

She laughed. _The ground will be a great place to live, as long as me and Mark are together, oh, plus Amber…_

She took a look aside, and found Amber nodded at her. _Seems she doesn't might me and Mark together, even better!_

Someone above her asked, "Hey, Doc, how sure you are that the ground is safe?"

Chloe replied, "You have my word on that. The radiation level is not as bad as they are telling you. There are definitely people already living down there. Their blood was not modified like Becca did to us, yet they still thrive. So for us gene-modded space mutants, it should be a walk in the park."

"Well said, doc. Well said." The one up there was satisfied. "Oh, woooowwww..."

The ship started dropping like a rock. Through the small pot windows, they were scared to see that fire started to burn outside.

Feeling the thrill of free falling, Chloe tried her best to stay calm, and asked someone, "Hey, Jerry, can you hear me?" When no one replied, she started to yell, "Jerry Reynolds, where the hell are you?!"

A lazy sound came out, "I am … right here. What do you want?"

Chloe said, "I chose you because you are a rocket engineer. Come on, tell us, is this normal?"

"Oh, you mean the fire outside?" Jerry replied nonchalantly, "Totally normal. It's just the heat generated by friction with the air. Every drop ship has that."

"See?" Chloe shouted, "Jerry here said it's OK."

Another one was concerned, "No, no, look at the glass, it starts to crack!"

Jerry still spoke like a drunk, "That's fine... Just the heat ablation material burning away... No problem."

 **PANG….** A violent yanking pulled them all up toward the ceiling, everyone felt the pain of their safety belts.

Jerry kept speaking, "Our first parachute just deployed. That's actually great news."

"YeeeHaaa..." Amber even shouted like a cowgirl, "Let's do this again!"

Jacob warned her, "Watch your hands, there might be another one coming..."

 **POWPOWPOWPOW…..** Several loud bangs came from their bottom, suddenly the whole chamber was full of thundering noise.

Chloe yelled at Jerry, "What IS THIS?"

Jerry yelled something back, but she couldn't hear him.

A hand held her arm, Chloe saw Mark looked at her and stopped her moving.

The whole world was like suddenly frozen. No extreme noise or nauseous rolling. It was just She and Mark. Two love birds at the center of a storm.

They just kept looking at each other, totally oblivious to the unbearable noise filled up the whole ship.

 _If I am going to die, I'll died smiling with you._

Just like the sudden coming of the noise, the going of the noise was quick as well.

They all felt the landing. It was almost like a gentle touch.

Since the SpaceX days, the technique of landing a rocket was honed to perfection.

The drop ship was stone still. All 100 people were safely landed and perfectly healthy.

"Everyone listen up." Chloe shouted, "Get ready for my instructions." Her voice stopped everyone's excited chatting.

Mark was puzzled, "What are you doing?"

"Jerry, are you ready?" Chloe yelled again.

Jerry replied, "Yup, I am ready."

"Ready for what?" Mark asked.

Still not answering him, Chloe yelled, "NOW!"

The whole ship fell into complete darkness. Only two emergency lights provided some faint lighting.

Chloe spoke loud, "Take off your bracelets now. We have 30 seconds."

"What?!" Mark protested, "Why are you doing this?"

"Because, my friend," Chloe talked while she took off her bracelet with a pliers. "I don't want to be a puppy of Jaha's. If he really wants to know the Earth is livable or not, he should come down himself."

"But he gave you the drop ship and everything in it." Mark said, "We should at least …"

"Don't move." Chloe used her pliers to take Mark's bracelet off. "You were saying?"

Mark shook his head, "Never mind."

"Does anyone need help taking their bracelet off?" Chloe shout out. "Anyone?"

Seemed everyone was prepared for it, and all bracelets were off one after another.

Among the murmuring, Chloe stood on her chair and spoke, "Now ladies and gentlemen, once the bracelets are off, everyone back on the Ark will think we were all dead during the landing. So you are completely scotch free, your previous crimes don't matter. No one will come down to put you in jail again. You are all FREE!"

Cheers roused up like July 4th.

Mark looked at Chloe and said, "No wonder you chose everyone in the death row. Murderers and rapists. I thought you chose them because only those guys would come."

"That's actually part of the reason." Chloe explained, "They committed heinous crimes under the oppressing circumstances of the Ark. Now they are facing a completely open new world. None of them will do that again. You will find them all redeemable."

"I seriously doubt that." Mark said, "Once a murderer, always a murderer."

"Then you know nothing about murder." Chloe said. "Will you kill a man, if my life is in danger?"

Mark couldn't answer, but Chloe already answered for him, "I will do that for you. Always remember that."

Jerry switched it back. The lights went back on, only then all the bracelets turned blinking red.

People all got up from their chairs and crowded to the gate.

"Amber, my sis!" Chloe called out to her. "Where are you?"

"I am right here, Chloe." Amber was near the gate already.

"Let's open the gate and DIE!" Someone joked, and everyone laughed.

 **PUZZZZZ…** The gate lowered down slowly, with blinding light and fresh air they had been missing for 3 years.

"Sweet, sweet air!"

Other said, "Did you hear that? Bird chimes!"

"No, that's the sound of the wind!"

"Oh, how much I missed nature!"

Amber squeezed to the front, and she declared, " Hey, I will be the first one who touches the ground."

She jumped down the gate before it was fully lowered, and she happily yelled at the top of her lungs:

 **We Are Back, You Suckers!**

The others roared with her:

 **We Are Back, You Fucking Suckers!**

Chloe and Mark walked down the gate hand in hand.

"What do you think?" Chloe smiled to him, "Is this great or not?"

"It's everything beyond my expectation!" Mark had his most charming grin. " In fact, so beautiful that I want to propose to you right here."

"Then what is stopping you?" Chloe giggled.

"First we have to find a way to tell our people the ground is good to live in again."

"What a mood killer!" Chloe felt deflated, "The whole point of taking down the bracelets, is not to let them know. They need to find it out themselves."

Mark had a different view, "Their resources are stretched to the limit. I don't think they can spare any drop ship soon. It makes more sense to inform them by us…"

Chloe was mildly surprised, "My God! Even after they put you in jail and ready to kill you, you still want to help them. Can you stop being a good guy for one minute?"

"Never." Mark said with a smile. "And I will never forget what you did for me."

 _You have no idea what I have actually done for you!_ Chloe thought.

They started kissing and morphed into a tight embrace. At that ecstatic moment, Chloe truly felt that she was one with Mark. Nothing would ever separate them, except…

"Hey, brother and sis?" Amber was there, "Come here in a minute? We found something."

They let go of each other reluctantly. A little embarrassed, even.

"Sorry!" Mark apologized again. Chloe shook her head.

… …

Chloe opened her eyes wide for the "discovery".

It was a 6 feet tall grizzly bear, common in this area, but not so common was the way it died.

Chloe inspected the carcass over and over, seemed there was only one conclusion: the bear was skinned alive.

Its neck was attached to a 5-feet pole. All the fur was gone, except the head. All the fresh and meat was picked clean, but the bones and viscera remained. Worms were crawling around.

Amber pinched her nose and asked, "What do you think, sis?"

"It was a skilled hunter." Chloe said, "Look at the cut on the neck, clean and straight. He must have a sharp knife. The bear doesn't have broken bones, so it's hard to judge how it got killed..."

Amber looked at the worms and said, "Sis, do you see that?"

"See what?" Chloe didn't understand at first.

"Those worms, they are sensitive to radiation." Amber pointed out, "But they thrive here, which means the radiation level is low. Plus the bear and the hunter, all are indications that the ground is suitable to live."

"Very good observation, Amber!" Chloe praised her, "Your Earth skill must be very high."

"The top one, actually." Amber proudly stated, "Remember I originally planned to raise some chickens with my brother…"

"And now we can have our own farm with all kinds of animals." Chloe said. "I will take care of your chicken, if you want."

Amber had a smile, "I hope we three all live here happy ever after."

Chloe gently brushed her hair and thought, _She ran an underground smuggler network up in the Ark, but who says she wouldn't be a good person here? People changed when their environment changed. I wish I could change back to the innocent girl that I used to be..._

"Oh, sorry that you girls have a moment here." Jerry came near. "Uh… My rig is done. You want to do it?"

Chloe nodded. Jerry pushed a wired button.

 **POOMMMMMMMMM…**

The drop ship had a fierce explosion. The shock wave hit them with hair flowing around.

"Good job, Jerry!" Chloe patted his shoulder.

"From now on we are completely on our own, Chloe." Jerry said with concern, "The Ark will think we are all crashed and died."

"Precisely what I wanted them to think." Chloe said. "They didn't care about us, so we don't need them either."

"What should we do next, sis?" Amber asked, "Do we have a club to revel?"

"No time for that, sis." Chloe answered, "We have two weeks of food to reach Montreal. The city should be just a couple of days walk away."

Amber's eyes glowed.


	8. Chapter 8 - Farewell

Revision 1.0

===#===#===

The meeting in Becca's Temple was not going well for Joe Whitman.

Right after the little girl and her two big minions left, they had a heated debate about what to do next. To his surprise, Ethan wouldn't agree to his and Becca's suggestion.

"I cannot believe we are still talking about this." Whitman grunted, "Those Ass-get-done savages are too dangerous. We need to move out. There are plenty of towns and villages we can go."

"Azgeda. Their nation is called AZ...GE...DA." Ethan corrected him, " They look intimidating from outside, but are they really a threat? We don't know they number, their skills and their strategies. Like that girl said, we basically know nothing about them. How can you be sure that they were not bluffing?"

Whitman spoke for Becca, " Becca had been observing the girl's facial expression. She said the girl seemed to be telling the truth…" Then he added, "Except that I am definitely not a senile old man."

"We still need more information, more intelligence to determine what to do next." Ethan seemed to be speaking for all leaders, "But before that, we are not going anywhere. This is Polis. Becca built this city for us."

"Hey, Becca is right here." Whitman gestured to empty space, "She has the same opinion as me. We need to be on the safe side. I can't believe it ! I am the Commander, yet none of you listen to me or Becca."

Ethan and the leaders exchanged looks with each other. It seemed that they somehow reached an agreement without even talking.

"Yes, you and Becca are our Commanders." Ethan finally decided, "We have to obey you. So from today all women, children, injuries and old people will move to DC area, where they will stay there until we have further information."

He then stood up and spoke loud to everyone in the temple, "But for me, I will stay here until the end, because Polis is Becca's city, Polis is where we built together, and bled together! For Becca!"

Everyone couldn't help shouting out, " **For Becca!** "

At that moment, Whitman had a feeling that the 13-year-old boy might be even older than him.

Becca suddenly said, " Joe, I have an idea."

"Will I like it?" Whitman wondered.

"You will definitely like the first half." Becca said, "Not sure about the second one."

"I can guess. You want me to go back to Mount Weather and ask President Wallace for more guns."

Becca replied, "You got the first half right. I want you to go back to Mount Weather and see your family, but the second half is, we will find and pay a visit to this Red Queen and her army. See what they really like."

"Sounds quite dangerous." Whitman said, "But I am with you. I hope my scout skill is not too rusty."

"So let's go." Becca suggested, "The jeep just parked next to the hospital. The solar panels should have charged it fully by now."

Whitman whispered, "Do we tell Ethan our plan?"

Becca looked at the boy with mixed feelings, then said, "No, we just go alone."

… …

Whitman pressed the "On" button, the jeep instantly lit up. He checked all the instruments, and was satisfied to see the battery was full. If nothing went wrong, he would be back in Mount Weather in just 2 days…

 **PAPAPA…** Suddenly someone tapped on the window and almost made him jump.

Whitman rolled down the window and saw Nicole Hawk. She could barely walk, but still, there she was, staring at him.

" Want to go without saying... 'Goodbye', Mr. Whitman?" She struggled to said it in a coarse voice. The scary wound in her chest was still healing, making it hard to speak.

"I am sorry, Nicole." Whitman felt like he was a student caught cheating by the teacher. "I didn't know you were awake…"

"You should have known." Nicole said, "I have been conscious since last night. You should notice that."

Whitman's face and neck turned red. _Yeah, I did suspect that. It's just too embarrassing to ask._

Nicole watched him carefully and said, "Joe, you don't need to feel ashamed. You were just taking care of me. I should say 'Thank you for everything'."

Whitman tried to apologize, "No, no, there is no need. Sorry that I couldn't save your husband."

Nicole smiled bitterly, "I could never stop him from risking his life. And you did you best to help him, and you had saved me."

"Just be all that I can be." Whitman couldn't help repeating an old army slogan.

"So where are you heading?" Nicole asked, "Mount Weather?"

Whitman nodded.

"Say 'Hello' to your family for me." Nicole tried to be happy for him, "They must have been missing you terribly."

"Yes, they must, and I miss them too." Whitman agreed, "But I will be back."

"Why?" Nicole asked, "What do you still have here?"

Whitman looked at the horizon, "There is a new threat to the city. I am not gonna leave you all behind."

"What kind of new threat?"

"Ask Ethan. He will tell you everything." Whitman started to turn the wheel, "At the meantime, take care my friend, may we meet again."

The jeep backed out of the parking lot and rolled away.

In the rear mirror, he saw Nicole waved at him. A strong feeling came up to his heart.

 _No, no, no. There cannot be anything between me and her. You have a wife and son for God sake!_

Cursing himself, he stepped on the pedal hard. The jeep dashed forward like a wild horse.

===#===#===

Five minutes before, they still had 100 people, mostly dangerous criminals, merrily strolling along a idyllic country road toward Montreal.

Out of nowhere, arrows rained down on them. Each one deadlier than the other. Many of them looked at the arrow buried in their chest and still couldn't believe it.

Five minutes later, 30 people had already died from the poisonous arrows. The rest were crawling on the ground, using rocks, trees, or dead bodies as shield.

The rain of arrows stopped. It was gone before anyone knew it was over.

Since then no one saw anything, or any one. The forest looked exactly the same like before.

The scenery was so unreal, like a nightmare, but the 30 people remained dead, and 10 more were groaning in pain.

Jacob was the first one who saw arrows coming. He grabbed someone in front of him and used him as the cover. That man should die happy knowing his body saved all four of our main characters.

Chloe was the second one woke up from the unreal nightmare. She quickly pulled Mark and Amber down, then dashed behind a tree. After the ambush was over, she immediately started to check the casualties.

The poison from the arrows seemed very potent. Even a scratch will make the opening fresh turned black. In another 20 minutes, those 10 with minor injuries were dead as well.

Just half hour ago, everyone was in a good mood, but the sudden kiss of deaths totally changed everything. Some people held their friend or relatives and cried. Some suddenly had fears for every tree and every shadow. Some just ran away in a random direction.

The group of 100 suddenly shrunk to only around 50.

Amber and Mark were lying down, holding each other in arms. Their bodies quivered uncontrollably.

The whole group were in the same shocked and awed PTSD stage. Only a few were still calm, including Chloe and Jacob.

That scene had an eerily familiarity to Chloe. It was not the first time people kept dying in front of her. She had seen too much in the hospital. In this otherwise disastrous situation, she just called it Wednesday.

Carefully she inspected each arrow, seeing some green dye on the tips. She asked Jacob to collect those arrows and put them in bags.

"We will use them to fight back?" Jacob asked.

Chloe shrugged, "Don't know. Probably."

So he ordered a few other guys to collect arrows, and tell them to be very careful with the tips.

Only then Chloe walked back to find Mark and Amber on the ground.

"Are you OK, Mark?" She asked, "Sis, how about you?"

Both nodded with trembles. Mark asked, "How did… you be...OK?"

"Hospital works." She replied, "I've seen them all." Then she said to Amber, "Come on, get up sis. We need to find a cave before dark."

"Why… why a cave?" Amber still had some shivers.

Chloe explained, "A cave will give us an advantage of defense. If anyone get in our cave, we will be the ones who shoot arrows at him."

"What if.. A bear?" Amber was in fear. "The cave …"

"Well, if there is a bear in the cave," Chloe said, "then we are lucky. We will have more meat to share. Come on, chop chop..."

She stood up and walked to others. Amber and Mark looked at each other with disbelief.

"Hey, brother…" Amber said, "Your girl is … scary."

"I know," Mark looked at Chloe's petite silhouette and said, "but I love her ... just the same."

"I am afraid…" She continued, "She will be … too dangerous."

Mark let out a long sigh, "You were dangerous ... back in the Ark, but I... still love you."

Amber was shocked, "You knew!"

He explained, "I only know... who Jacob is... and what he's capable of."

Amber looked down, "I am sorry!"

"There is no need." Mark said, "Every girl has her secrets."

"Yeah, I have mine... and I really want to tell you." Amber watched him with warm feeling. _I love you with all my heart. Do you know that?_

"Oh, yeah? What is it, then?" Mark turned to her with a grin. "Sis, what is your big secret?"

Amber was drunk in his cute face with dimples, and found herself speechless.

"OK, you don't need to tell me." Mark shrugged, "You deserve your own space. I respect that."

He picked himself up, "Let's go. Time to find a cave."

Amber hit her fist on the ground, angry with herself.

===#===#===

Up in the Ark. The control center was awed to see all 100 bracelets shown flat lines at the same time.

"What's going on?" Theodore Kane asked, "Did all of them died at the same time?"

No one could answer him.

One hour later, all bracelets' signals were gone at the same time again. All except one. Even that remained one was showing no sign of life anyway.

"Mr. Jaha, you have to check it out." Kane called the Counselor, "Your great plan seems to fail very miserably."

" I am coming." Jaha said in the console, "Give me 5 minutes."

That 5 minutes turned into 1 hour. By the time Jaha entered the control center, Kane already had a theory.

"Look it here." Kane pointed to a red dot on the electronic map, "See something burning there? That was supposed to be the landing spot."

"Oh my God! Did the drop ship crashed?" Jaha was shocked. "I thought everything was tested fine."

"No, it didn't crash. There is no crater." Kane explained, "With all the available data, it seems the drop ship landed successfully after all, but then it exploded 1 hour later."

"Why is that?"

"One of our rocket scientists said, it could be the heat shield failure during the ship entering the atmosphere. A fire might start burning inside the ship. Therefore, even though it followed the programming and landed on our spot, everyone inside was already burnt to death."

"Damn! That's really a horrible way to go." Jaha shook his head. "Are you sure about that?"

"This is our best guess from what we have." Kane replied, "You know we don't have those high end equipment any more."

Jaha nodded. The nuclear war had brought down many satellites. Many others had lost control and flew away. Things they took for granted, like GPS and Google Maps, had gone forever.

"This is just a setback." Jaha finally said, "It doesn't prove anything. We still don't know if the Earth is livable or not. We will send another ship, right after the current crisis."

Everyone in the control room agreed with him.

"Talking about the current crisis, how many people died today?" Jaha asked Kane, "Give me a number."

"24. Just in Shenzhen." Kane showed him a different picture, "There are still 200 people in the square."

Jaha looked at the monitor carefully, "They are just sitting there?"

"Yes, they are." Kane replied, "They are not eating, nor drinking. Each of them is holding a knife. If we approach them, they will cut their own throats."

"What the hell are they thinking?" Jaha shook his head. " Why they are committing suicide like this? So painful to see them slowly go."

Kane said, "Maybe that's exactly their point. They all know that many have to die in order for others to survive. So they chose to end their own lives, but still they want you to feel the same pain they feel, before the death."

Jaha asked, "Can we stop them?"

Kane said, "It's a little bit too late. Right now all 12 stations have the same idea. Each day more people will join the self-starvation. If you arrest them, they will just kill themselves in jail."

Jaha felt his heart sank heavily, "This is the symptom of losing hope. Our people are abandoning the will to live."

Kane nodded, "There is not much hope left. The loss of the drop ship doesn't help either."

"But still we need to commemorate those 100 brave souls." Jaha said, remembering the lovely Chinese girl who gave him so much trouble, "Let's make a large bronze plaque, and write all their names on it."

"What should we call them in the plaque?" Kane asked, "Heroes? Pioneers? Suicide Squad?"

"We should call them 'Grounders'. " Jaha determined, "After all, at the end of their lives, the ship carried them to the ground."

"I agree." Kane concurred, "Cannot find a better word to describe them."

===#===#===

That night, Whitman found himself being Helen again. He didn't want to see her memory, but for some unknown reason, once he slept, he would start to receive her memories like clockwork.

Though they were only dreams, he was fully aware that he was watching a little girl's life like a bystander. He couldn't intervene anything. What happened already happened.

In that memory, Helen woke up among 10 strangers. They were all girls with different ages. Helen was 13 years old, not the oldest nor the youngest, but probably the busiest. She had to get up before dawn, because she worked in the kitchen.

Looking at a mirror, she saw her red hair grew into a mess. Her face was paler than ever, and her clothes was too baggy. _We all lived like nuns and worked like slaves_. She thought. _Getting the pass downs and eating the leftovers._

Her father became a bounty hunter. He would be gone for a whole week, then returned with very tired legs. Helen didn't ask exactly what her father did, but judging from the heavier and heavier mental burden of him, she knew it wouldn't be easy.

Her father's hard work did pay off. In only 2 years, he was promoted again and again. By that time he was already Level 7, a comfortable level to live in that building. Yet he couldn't have his own room with her. She was told, the privilege of living in a family room are reserved for level 10 and above only. Therefore, she had to live in a shared bedroom with other girls.

However, there were some good things about this arrangement. She no longer felt lonely after all.

There was a sweet girl called Lola also worked in the kitchen. They became best friends. Lola was only 1 year older than her, but she already stayed in the tower for 7 years. She had a warm personality, and practically melt Helen's long frozen heart, making her open up to others again.

As Helen looked at her reflection, Lola came in and greeted her, "Hi, morning! You looked tired, are you OK?"

Helen nodded.

"If you need some rest, let me know. I will help you." Lola was concerned.

"Thank you, but I am fine." Helen replied. Lola had a heavy workload herself. She wouldn't bother her like that. "Let's start the day."

They both held hands and walked down the stairs to the kitchen floor.

This floor was the battleground every morning. Fresh meat, eggs and vegetables came in with big boxes. Helen and Lola, along with other workers would separate them, clean them and prepared them for the cooks. Helen was assigned to the meat processing group, so everyday she had to pick the bones, cut the meat to various sizes, then marinate some of them for certain dishes.

Helen opened her locker to change into a butcher's outfit. In the locker, she saw a picture of her younger self, couldn't help remembering how much she had changed in merely 2 years.

===#===#===

When she first joined the group 2 years ago, a kitchen boy called Ken showed her his callous hands, "See? If you work here, you hands will hurt."

His words were very true. Meat processing was tough work. Cutting the bones out were the hardest part. Not only it required lots of pure brutal force. Many times the sharp knife would be stuck inside a bone, and it would take Helen all her will power to pull it loose.

Her father was outside somewhere doing God-knows-what. And she didn't want anybody's help. Sometimes, when her hands hurt so much that she couldn't hold the knife, she would go inside a room-size fridge and put her hand to the frozen meat. It helped to reduce some swelling, but there was once her hand ended up sticking to the meat. She forced herself to take the hand back, only to lose a whole layer of skin with blood...

When it was too much, she will cry when no one was watching. Other girls were as miserable as her. Lola's father was in jail, her mother never showed up, but she hadn't cried once in front of her. Helen intended to do the same.

Ken was trying to be helpful as well. He showed Helen how to cut the meat properly. "Along the bone edges, you will almost feel it." Also some useful tips, "If you can do it faster, the job will actually get easier." He demonstrated how he cut a whole set of ribs in just seconds. Helen watched his moves with fascination.

In just a couple of months, Helen could use the knife as smooth as Ken did. Lola had difficulties of catching up, and was always amazed by how fast Helen learned the techniques.

"I know ballet and Karate in my past life." Helen would explain, "They helped."

"Ballet?" Lola was impressed, "You mean the dance? Show me, show me!"

Helen made sure no one else was around, then she would twist her waist and start a standard routine of "Swan Lake". Lola became an instant fan.

...

After one year, Ken started to let Helen handled the big carcasses. Helen by that time had developed an unique technique of separating bones. She would put the large carcass on a hook like hanging a sandbag, then started her "dancing". The knife in her hands were turned into magic wands. Once she finished a whole routine of dancing/cutting/whatever-that-was, the whole large body would become piles of meat and bones.

Lola always wanted to learn her strange dance, but she was never able to start. Helen tried her best explaining how she did it, "You shouldn't see it as simply a carcass. You should see it as the combination of muscle, bone and joins. So every swing you made, it should go between bones and cut through the joins. You cannot be slow in the swings. Every move should be fast and precise..."

"I give up." Lola shook her head, "You are talking like a fiction."

"Come on, it's not that hard." Helen sharpened a knife, "I can show you again."

"Forget it." Lola said, "Don't waste you time. You open the big ones and I cut the small ones. We both have work to do."

===#===#===

"Hey, stop dreaming, little girl. " Ken talked to her, "We got a lot to do."

"Who do you call a 'little girl'?" Helen pouted her lips. "You want a hand wrestling with me?"

Ken laughed, "Maybe next year. Now go, go..."

In about two hours, the meat group had finished processing all the meat for over 500 people.

Time to join the soup group.

The soup group was much easier, just put all the processed meat and vegetables into big boilers, then added lots of water. The hardest part was carrying large kettles of water and pour it into boilers over and over, but Helen completely got used to it.

Her hands had the same thick callous like Ken had. Her arms were much stronger than 2 years ago. She was not the little girl who always needed her dad's protection any more.

However, she still couldn't help thinking. _Where are you, dad?_ _When will you be back here?_

When she came back from the soup group, a yellow tulip showed up in her locker, which made her overjoyed.

Lola saw it too. "Wow! This is nice! From your father again?"

"Yup, it must be him." Helen cheerfully announced, "He knew I was busy, so he just left it here for me."

Lola was happy for her, "Congrats! You haven't seen him for weeks already."

"I hope he bought something for you too." Helen said, "He appreciates that you always taking care of me."

"Nah…" Lola waved her hand, "You are doing so well. It's almost like you are the one who's taking care of me."

Suddenly a ear-piercing alarm blared at the maximum volume.

" **WARNING, ATTACK IMMINENT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL. WARNING, ATTACK IMMINENT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL.** "

Helen had attended emergency drills before, but this time the volume was extremely loud, and the chaos was overwhelming.

In front of her wide-open eyes, everyone in the kitchen were like suddenly lost their minds. Each of them dashed at the exits like his/her ass was on fire.

The exit was not wide enough, so they crashed at each other and making the exit narrower.

Lola yanked her hand hard, "What are you waiting for? Let's Go!"

 _What happened?_ Helen was totally confused. _Why everyone turns crazy?_

They had to step over a few people on the ground to leave the kitchen. Some frying pans caught fire, but no one seemed to care.

The automatic sprinklers were activated. Water showered down on them, making it hard to see what was ahead.

Among all the chaos, Lola grabbed her hand like a strong vice, pulled her into the emergency stairs and yelled, "Go down! Go down! Don't trip over!"

Helen's heart was jumping out of her chest. Though she still didn't know what exactly happened, she felt a thrill like never before. Her whole body was like walking on clouds.

All around her, Second Dawn members in different levels mixed together. Some of them should be in the high floors, yet all of them were running toward the garage in the basement.

When they reached the garage, Helen found out that everyone was trying to get in a car. There were hundreds of cars in each garage floor, but the available ones were fast disappearing.

Lola cursed, "God Damn it! We are too late!" She then dragged Helen to the next floor.

Finally in B4 level, they saw an old car remained. Helen recognized it right away. It was the car her father drove her around the whole America. It became the property of Second Dawn, but it was still there, waiting like an old friend.

She pointed to it, and they both ran in that direction.

A man was already in the driver seat. He got out and said, "No, this car is not working." Then he ran away.

Lola looked at Helen. Helen just jumped in the driver seat, turn off the radio and lights, pushed the gas pedal a few times. Then she turned the key on.

The ancient old car crackled and coughed, but then came back to life, puffing loud to welcome its ex-owner.

Lola got in the passenger seat and shouted, "Go. Helen!"

Helen looked at the familiar steering wheel with hesitation, "Go where?"

Lola quickly said, "There is a nuclear bunker just a few blocks from here. Let's go, before the bomb drops on us!"

"But my father…" Seeing the old car again reminded her old man, and the good days together.

"Your father will understand, Helen." Lola almost yelled, "We have only less than 20 minutes. The whole world is ending!"

Helen stepped out of her car, "No, I am not going. My father is here. I am not leaving him."

"You idiot!" Lola couldn't help shouted out, "You will die here with him!"

Suddenly it became crystal clear to Helen, "Then it's OK, as long as he's with me."

Lola moved quickly to the driver seat and stepped on the gas pedal. The old car stuttered and emitted some unpleasant smoke, then went forward like it was supposed to.

Helen looked at her best friend disappeared around the corner. Her eyes were moistened. _Goodbye, Lola!_

…...

She went back to the stairs and started climbing. In the next 20 minutes, she would find her father, give him a big big hug, then they would die together at the world's end. If Heaven really existed, they would probably go there together as well.

She had a good idea of where her father would be. Just thinking in his shoes, if she were Daniel Graham, the father who promised to protect her at all costs, surely he would be in the kitchen floor looking frantically for her.

She was her daddy's girl, after all.


	9. Chapter 9 - Plans

Revision 1.0

===#===#===

Somewhere near Montreal, a group of 50 people carefully surveyed a park ahead.

Mark Trudeau remembered that park very well. His parents had brought him there many times when he was just a little kid. He did lots of biking and hiking there. It was too bad that, with dark clouds above, the lake was no longer blue. Half of the trees were dead. Grey ashes covered everything. The once beautiful colorful park at that time looked more like a dull trash ground.

But of course the little hill was still there, so was the cave at the foot. It was not big nor deep, but enough for them to hide within. Mark used to draw dicks on the cave's wall. He was a little embarrassed to see those graffiti were still there.

Mark sighed, _I'm so close to home! Yet it felt like I was here a thousand years ago, in a very different life._

"What's wrong, Mark?" Chloe noticed his nostalgia, "Remember something?"

Mark nodded, and she patted his back for a little comfort.

After everyone sat down, Jacob went to the cave's mouth to be the watch. Chloe clapped her hand loud. **PAPAPAPA…** The sound echoed in the narrow space. Making sure she got everyone's attention, she started a lengthy strategy meeting.

"Everyone, as you already know, we encountered an unexpected enemy. They ambushed us and killed 40 of us. They seem to be very scary, but I am telling you, we fear them only because we don't know anything about them. Once we have more info, you will see we are actually the stronger one."

The audience had some muttering. They were not sure what Chloe meant.

"Amber here has the highest Earth skill score ever." Chloe introduced her, "Now let's hear what she said about our enemy."

A few started applauding. Those were the men used to work for Amber back in the Ark like Jacob.

"Uh… Thank you!" Amber felt a little nervous, "I don't have much to tell you, just something about the arrows. Those were all hand-made. If you inspect them closely, you will see that the wood of each shaft is knife-cut and hand-polished. They were made in a workshop, not in a factory."

Seeing people nodding at her, Amber had more confidence, "The point of the arrow is made of cruel iron. It was molten metal poured into a wooden cast, a very primitive way to produce them, almost like 13th Century. The arrow head itself cannot really kill a man. It's the poison that does the job. The rough porous surface allowed the poison liquid to soak in and stayed."

She showed one arrow's head, "Some arrows poison was not dry when I retrieved them, which gives me an idea how it works. They must have dipped the arrowhead in a bottle of poison liquid before they shoot them, because once the poison is dry, it might not work as well any more."

She added, "We can test this theory on small animals tomorrow. All those arrows should lose their poisonous potency overnight."

Chloe nodded at her presentation, "Very good! Amber, you truly outdone yourself!" She started to applaud.

 **PAPAPAPA…** Everyone followed.

Chloe then analyzed the implication, "What Amber said here means a couple of ways to counter those guys. First, if we wear thick armor or use shields, the arrows cannot hurt us. Second, if we are the ones who ambush them, they will have no time to dip arrows in their poison jar, so the arrows they shoot back will be much less dangerous. Do you guys agree?"

Everyone concurred. They started to feel some confidence.

Chloe presented the next speaker, "Alright, let's welcome our history and human behavior professor, Tanya Howard."

Once again applause rose up. That time it was much louder and more cheerful.

A 40-year-old woman stood up and walked to the center, "I … uh … I ...uh…" She didn't know what to say.

Chloe encouraged her, "Come on, professor. Tell us anything."

She finally had enough guts, "OK, everyone, I will try my best." Her long speech began.

"First, I want to point out that those guys are some highly skilled hunters, but not soldiers. They shoot arrows with pin-point accuracy, but once we were defeated and all hiding, they did not charge at us. So their behavior is more like hunters. The real soldiers would have come in and finished us all, when we were at the weakest moment."

"Hm...Great analysis!" Chloe nodded, "I am so glad that you agree to come with us."

Tanya had a bitter smile, "I didn't have much choice." She was in the death row like most people there. She killed her husband in a very elaborated way, and trying to make it looked like an accident. Yet she didn't know in their room there was a hidden camera recording everything. She was in jail the next day.

The speech continued, " The second thing is, they appeared to be just defending their territory. Once we moved out there, there were no more attacks. However, usually a tribe will mark their territory in a clear way, like putting marks on trees, setting up flags or hanging some corpses, but we have seen none of that. This means probably they just recently moved in. No time for them to mark their area yet…"

"So do you think they will move out?" Chloe asked.

Tanya nodded, "Perhaps. If they know they will move out soon, then there is no incentive to mark their area, either. Also it leads to my third point here."

"Wow! Professor, you are really impressive." She couldn't help praising her.

"Thanks, Chloe! I had been lecturing for all my life. So ironic that only now my knowledge can put in some practical use. The third point is, those hunter or savages have no interests in human communication. Usually if strangers got in someone else's territory, the owners would send out some warning first. Language barrier shouldn't be an issue. Some warnings like shooting a gun or an arrow were universally understood, but those hunters just ambushed us and killed us, while we had done nothing to them..."

"Yet." Chloe added, "We had done nothing to them, yet." Mark looked at her with concerns.

"Alright," Tanya said, "Then it only means those guys were very isolated from other human beings. They don't expect to see any of us, or talk to us, they will only kill whoever is in their turd."

"How can that be?" Amber couldn't help asking, "We Canadian never had such brutal savages before!"

"Uhmm…..." Mark wanted to say something.

"What is it, Mark?" Chloe caught his thought, "You have something?"

"Yeah, actually I was fascinated by the world's mysteries for a while, like pyramids and Bermuda Triangle..."

"So?" Amber asked, "You think those are bigfoots?"

"I know it sounds ridiculous, but I did do a little research on bigfoots too." Mark said, "We do have many unexplained disappearances in the northern Canada."

"No, brother, the cold and the wild got them." Amber argued, "Northern Canada is a harsh place to live. Grizzly bears are everywhere."

"Well, now come to think of it." Mark felt the ridiculousness himself, "Maybe it was not those bears."

"Hm… Mark, I agree with your point." Chloe nodded to him, "Perhaps there had been a tribe living in the north, but no one has ever seen them, or got in touch with them. Or maybe they just killed anyone who got close, like those hunters did to us today, right? Professor Howard?"

Tonya agreed, "If a tribe like that exists, yeah, their behavior today does fit the profile."

"See?" Chloe was getting excited, "We work so much better as a group! Now let's figure out how to fight them. Time to hear our leading killer, Henry King, what he says about it."

 **PAPAPAPA…..** The applause made a 30-year-old man very embarrassed.

"I am sorry, I am not really a killer." He said.

"But you were a high-ranking security guard." Chloe asked, "You killed people who dared to fight back, and you did kill his whole family, right?"

He started to get emotional, "That fucking bastard slept with my wife! What am I supposed to do?!"

"Calm down, Mr. King." Chloe tried not to upset him too much. "Most of us used to be criminals. We all did bad things."

"Yeah, but I am not a killer. I was just doing my job." He insisted, "And that asshole provoked me, when I was really sad. Once I started shooting, I just couldn't stop…"

"Yes, we all understand what you feel." Chloe assured him, "We all had those moments. Believe me, I wished I hadn't done some bad things myself."

Henry's face twisted, looked like he was about to cry.

Chloe said it gently but firmly, "But what happened already happened, you cannot take it back."

Then she tried to cheer him up, "Actually, you should make it as your advantage. Down here in this cruel world, killing is encouraged. The more you killed, the more honorable you are. Because I personally don't want you to stop killing at just 5, I want you to kill 50, 500 or more. So wear your death count as a badge. I want you to singlehandedly kill the whole tribe for all of us, if you can. So buff up, soldier, show us how to kill those shitty hunters."

All cheered for him. Henry gathered himself up and spoke, "Alright, Chloe, I appreciate what you said. I think those ass-holes stopped shooting and ran away, not because they didn't want to kill us all, but because they had seen a couple of rifles in the front row. They didn't know how many more guns we had, and how skillful we were with them, so they just fled before we had a chance to open fire back at them."

"Hm…" Chloe nodded, "But that didn't contradict the theory the professor has here, right? They are still nomadic hunters."

"Those shitheads are hunters alright." Henry agreed, "They were the ones who killed the bear before. They were the one who used poison arrows as their primary weapons. I suppose they must have spears and knives for close-range combat, but they were no match for our guns and rifles, if we get close to them."

"Good! Then how do we get more guns and rifles?" Chloe asked, "Mark, do you have any ideas?"

"What?" Mark was surprised, "How do I know?"

"You are the local guide." Chloe said, "And boys like guns. Think, do you know any armory or gun ranges around?"

"Yeah, I remember a gun shop nearby." Amber suddenly said. She saw people were staring, "What? Can't a girl like guns too?"

"Is it close to our drop ships?" Chloe asked.

"Roughly the same way." Amber replied, "Why you asked? You want to go back to the drop ship?"

Chloe acknowledged it, "Yup, planning to."

"It's exploded already." Amber was wondering, "It's in a thousand pieces."

"Jerry, you are the rocket expert." Chloe pointed at someone. "Time for you to talk. Hey, Jerry Reynolds!"

"What…?" He seemed to be falling asleep during the meeting, "What did I do?"

"Can we still salvage anything from the drop ship as weapons, or armor?"

"Oh… that... uh... Of course we can." Jerry started to think straight. "Though in pieces, thanks to Chloe here, the drop ship still has tons of space-grade alloy metal, light and tough. They will never get rusted. Yeah, a lot we can salvage from."

"But how do we cut those metals?" Chloe asked, "Do we still have those laser cutters? What about the electricity?"

"Wow...wow, Chloe, slow down. One thing at a time." He raised his hands, "I will figure something out when we get there."

Chloe smiled, "We put all our trust in you, Jerry the rocketman, don't screw it up!"

Jerry looked at the criminals around him and nervously replied, "No…. I won't."

"Very good! This is better than I expected!" Chloe gladly said, "Today we were slaughtered, but we will come back much stronger and deadlier. If we all work as a group, then we will be the hunters, not them. Are you with me?"

 **YEAHHHH!** Almost everyone hollered, except Mark.

"Chloe…" He was a little hesitant.

"Yes, Mark?"

"Can we just leave this place behind?" He asked, "We can just find some place safe and settle down. Why do we have to go back to Montreal?"

"Oh, silly." Chloe cheerfully said, "Because I want you and Amber to find your parents. And I want to meet them and ask for their blessing."

Mark's face turned red, "But what if they are all dead, we will risk our lives for nothing."

"No, no, my dear." She assured him, "Whatever I do for you, it will always be something, at least to me."

Chloe then announced to everyone, "Once we are in Montreal, we will find enough food and shelter for many years. Plus I heard that there were many lovely men and women in that city. I have no doubt you will find your own, like I found Mark here. So, do you guys want a happy life? Follow me and let's go to Montreal !"

 **MONTREAL!** They all bellowed out their passion. Hope and purpose are indeed very powerful incentives.

===#===#===

Whitman woke up in his jeep. Sweat filled up his forehead.

"Oh... My...God! Holy Cow!" He talked to the air in a trembling voice, "I went through the apocalypse again! This time from Helen's view. That was so so scary!"

Becca showed up in the passenger's seat, "What did you see? Was she OK?"

"No, she was not." He described the horrible scene, "First I heard a huge blast. All the glasses were broken, then whole floor was jumping up like a roller coaster ride! She and her father was blown away for probably 20 yards."

"Was she seriously injured?" Becca seemed quite concerned with Helen.

Whitman shook his head, "No, her father suffered the most from the impact. He might have some broken bones with that brutal landing. Helen seemed OK."

"What happened after that?"

"Then I woke up here." Whitman answered honestly, "With pissed pants."

Becca seemed a little disappointed, "Thank you. Please keep me informed about your 'dreams'."

"Will do, will do." Whitman promised, "You really care about her, right?"

"So do you." Becca said, "Otherwise you will not dream so much about her. It's your subconsciousness asking for Helen's memories."

"Oh, so that's how it works?" Whitman was intrigued, "Do you mean if I am no longer interested, her memories will not show up in my dreams?"

"I suppose so." Becca thought about it. "But for now, you are so deep in her story, that you couldn't help thinking about her in your dreams."

"God damn it! I am really a pervert!" Whitman couldn't help cursing himself.

"No, it's not like that." Becca disagreed, "You care about her like a daughter, because as we both know, she was actually a very nice and sweet girl."

Whitman nodded.

"Thank you, Becca!" A girl's voice came out of nowhere, almost gave him a heart attack.

"Is that you? Helen?" Becca anxiously called out, "Come back, Helen! I have so much to tell you. Come back!"

Whitman looked at Becca's image intensively.

After a while, Becca lowered her head, "She's gone."

Whitman tried holding Becca's hand, but of course failed, "Just give her some time. We are making progress."

Becca slowly nodded, then she disappeared.

...

Time to hit the road, American style! With his sunglasses on, Whitman drove fast with wind blowing hard and nodded to the rock music in the jeep. The strong beats shook the interior.

The journey to Mount Weather was almost over. He couldn't wait any longer to see his wife, and his new born son. He started to wonder, _What should I tell them?_

"Oh, Lucy, honey, long time no see." While driving, he started to practice the conversation, "I know I disappeared for a few months. No worries. I don't need oxygen mask to live outside. Wish you can do the same…"

"Uh… Why?... Uh… Because my blood now is different, Becca, uh, someone in Polis, oh no, New Metro, modified my DNA. Uh… no… I am afraid you and my son cannot do that. Outside, both of you will die in minutes.

Oh, I am sorry that this is a bad topic. Shall we talk about something else? Uh… like I see a big gorilla. Yeah, king kong size. She chased me and almost ate me…"

He turned off the music, and thought to himself, _Seriously, man, you got to be careful with your words. You don't want to upset her._

Then he started the practice again, "Honey, believe me, I was just searching for something called 'gene modder' in that city. Nothing dangerous. They were all friendly to me, except that crazy girl Helen. Who? She was the leader of them... Nah... It's OK. She's dead now.

Sorry, Lucy, that was a bad thing to say. How about something good? Oh, right, in Polis I became the Commander. It's like a mayor or something. No, no elections, I fought the crazy girl Helen, killed her and I became the new Commander.

Holy shit! This is the worst. I am so so sorry! Honey, I am not trying to upset you, really, I am just trying to tell you the truth. Becca, come out, you can prove it. Tell her that I am just saying the truth.

Oh, yeah, right. Becca cannot talk to you, she can only talk to me…"

 ** _SHITTTTTT!_** Whitman hit the brake, the jeep jerked to a sudden stop.

Only at that moment, Whitman realized that he had to tell a lot of lies to everyone, including his wife.

… …

"At ease, soldier!" The President of the United States, Jason Wallace, was very glad to see his best scout plus good friend came back in one piece.

"Thank you, Sir!" Whitman performed a perfect salute with such familiarity that he missed it. _This is his good old days! His good old life was so much simpler!_

"So what can you tell me about the New Metro?" Jason asked, "Anything special?"

"Not much, Sir." Whitman started to lie, "Not much happened in the city."

"Really?" Jason asked, "Then how about the gene modder? Did you find it?"

"The leader of the cult, Bill Cadogen, destroyed the machine, sir." He replied. _More lies._

"Why? That machine should be valuable to him too."

"Because he's an evil man, sir." Whitman just made up something, "He only wanted his own cult to survive, not others."

"That's such a pitiful man! The machine could have helped so many more. Tell me, how many people went through the gene modding?" Jason asked.

"About 1000, Sir."

The president nodded, "Good! If only 1000 people had the gene modded, it will take a very long time for them to be a threat to us. The New Metro is too far from us. Let those people mind their own business for the next 200 years."

"Good thinking, sir!" Whitman concurred, but at the same time, he remembered something odd.

When he was out of the hospital, the population of Polis seemed much more than 1000. None of them were wearing any suits. What happened?

Jason regarded his drifting mind as something else, "You must miss your wife and your son terribly. Go ahead and see them. Give me the detail report when you have time."

"Thank you, Sir!" He saluted again and hurried out of the room.

"Huuuuu…" He let out a long breath. Lying was not easy for him, especially to the President.

He thought _, Now it's time to see Lucy. More lies are needed, and it will be even harder._

…

"Stop your fucking lies!" Lucy scolded him, "You are so bad at it! Tell me what actually happened."

"Uh… uh..." Whitman hesitated, "I don't think you want to know."

"Of course I want to know, I am your fucking wife." Lucy bellowed, "For better, for worse, remember? "

He remembered the oath, remembered the happy days they were together, and remembered how long he had left her all alone. He started to cry.

Lucy wiped his tears, "Come on, big daddy. Don't be such a baby!"

"I am so so sorry!" Whitman kept sobbing, "I did so much wrong to you... I am truly sorry!"

"Did you sleep with other women?" She suddenly asked.

"NO, NO, No." He denied it immediately, "I swear to God that I didn't have sex with anyone but you."

Lucy smiled, "Then it's all OK. Relax, tell me everything."

"I can tell you, but…" Whitman turned his head around and said, "But you cannot tell any soul in this mountain, not even to the President."

"Yup, I promise. I don't like that guy anyway."

Whitman then asked the air, "Becca, can I tell her about you?"

Lucy put her hand to the mouth, astonished.

…

One hour later.

"You two are just out of your Fucking minds!" Lucy protested, "Becca, how dare you put my husband in such a dangerous situation?"

Whitman said, "No, no, she's not. You know I am a very stealthy scout. With Becca's help I can be even better."

"Still. You two are planning to go meet this...Red Queen?" She couldn't believe it. "How did you even get close to her?"

"We will...uh...figure something out."

"I knew it. Joe, you are always like this. No plans and no intel, you just go with the guts." She berated him, then pointed at the air, "Becca, you should at least come up with some plan first. I know you want to save thousands in your city, but this is like asking my husband for a suicide."

Whitman and Becca looked at each other, neither could say anything.

A baby's crying came out from next door.

"Shoot! Adrian is awake now." Lucy mixed some warm milk and hurried away. Whitman followed her closely.

"Hey, Baby! Look who's here?" Lucy changed to a completely different voice, "It is your daddy! Say Daddy!"

"Wow, he grew quite large now." Whitman looked at his son with moist eyes, "8 months already, huh?"

Andian started crying loud.

"Oh, baby don't cry. Baby don't cry." Lucy held him and shook him gently. " I know, daddy is bad, very very bad, I know."

"Can I hold him?" Whitman showed his trembling arms, "Just for one minute."

Lucy carefully put the baby in his arms. Looking at the baby's innocent face, Whitman wanted to cry again.

"Oh, stop that, both of you!" Lucy's eyes had tears too, "You are making me sad."

"I am so sorry, Lucy!" Whitman felt so guilty. "I gave you so much trouble."

She shook her head, "No, don't say that, Joe. We will figure something out, OK?"

Whitman nodded. Lucy embraced him with the baby. They stayed that way for a long long time.

…

After the baby fell asleep again, they went back to the living room.

"I have to say I envy you, Becca." Lucy talked in her normal way again, "You are with my husband all the time. You see everything he sees and hear everything he hears. And I had to stay in this Goddamn mountain worrying about him all day long."

Whitman had to say it for Becca, "I envy you too. My husband died in an island, and I couldn't see him any more. I cannot even return to that island."

"Why not?"

"She just doesn't want to, OK?" Whitman blurted. _That's a sad place for Becca._

"Hey, you are helping her now?" Lucy was not pleased, "Looking at the mess she gave you. Now you have to be this so-called 'Commander' and risk your neck for her people, but not for your own family. Do you think it's fair?"

"Uh…" Becca wanted to say something, but Whitman stopped her.

"Now what?" Lucy felt more jealousy, "Talking only between you two? Gosh, that's my husband, Becca. Not yours."

"I am sorry, Lucy." Whitman said, " I just asked her to disappear."

"So?"

"Now it's just you and me, OK?" Whitman said, "Let me talk straight to you."

"Go ahead, give me your best shot."

"Before Polis, no, New Metro, I always felt my life had not much purpose. Yeah, I knew I was protecting the President of the US, but the truth is, the United States no longer exists. All I was doing was salvaging paintings for an old man.

Yes, I was so happy that I married you, and we were having a baby, but in Polis, I found my true calling, I found my purpose. I followed a great leader, who was trying her best to save her people, and she even sacrificed her life doing that. I truly admired her.

But now she's dead. Somehow God had passed her burden on me, asking me to take her job, and I have to do it, because if I don't, the city will be gone, and she died for nothing..."

Lucy gazed on her man. Tears went down her cheek. She knew him, and what he was about to do. Whenever the duty called, he would always follow, no matter how hard or dangerous.

"So you see? I cannot just abandon the city for its own fate. I cannot allow those savages come in and kill everyone without a fight. I probably will die just looking for this Red Queen, but you know what? At least I tried my best, at least you can tell Adrian his father died to protect his people, and you both will be proud of me..."

"Stop, stop...don't say anymore…" Lucy cried in his arms.

…

"Wait a minute!" Lucy suddenly think of something, "The savages you were talking about. What do you call them?"

"Ass-get-done."

"Ass… Such a strange name." Lucy showed a little doubt, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, that little brat told me that. Pretty sure."

"You said that girl wore some mix leather coat? With a tattoo on her face?"

"Yeah, I did. Ring a bell?"

Lucy put her hand in her mouth again, "My God. It did ring a bell!"

…

Mount Weather's jail level.

"Hi, Dennis, it's been a long time." Whitman greeted his old friend.

"Oh, wow! Isn't that our best scout? Welcome home, Joe!" Dennis came up and hugged him like a bear.

"Not so tight, please." Whitman felt a little suffocating, "Good to see you too, big man!"

Dennis let go of him, "So you bring anything for me? Wine, Vodka, anything?"

Whitman gave him a bottle of VSOP Whisky.

"Oh, you shouldn't have." Dennis had a wide grin. "Now I owe you one. Who do I need to kill?"

"Actually there is a small matter." Whitman slowly said, "I … uh… want to see someone in custody."

… …

The prisoner was in a straitjacket, which limited most of his movements. Yet his dark tattoo remained on his face.

Dennis talked to Whitman, "It's no use. We are not even sure he can speak English. Even when he was sleep-talking, we only caught some words that no one understood."

"Hm...Yeah, he probably cannot speak English, but he did try to kill himself, right?"

"That's right. He did his best trying to die, but we won't allow it."

"How did you even catch him?" Whitman wondered.

"He was obviously scouting this area alone, so your own unit shot him a tranquilizer, and he was down."

"Ha… So much for 'one kills a hundred'." Whitman couldn't help blurted out.

"What does that mean?" Dennis asked, "What's that?"

"No, nothing." Whitman lied, "Dennis, can I talk to him alone?"

Dannis shrugged, "Be my guest. It will be a miracle if he can talk."

"Is there any camera in this room?" Whitman whispered to him. "Don't want any recording."

"Yes, I will turn it off." Dannis nodded to him, "We tried beating him up already. It didn't work."

Whitman had a gesture of "let me handle this", and Dennis stopped his yapping and went away.

… …

Whitman sat in front of the man, observing his face. The tattoo was not the same one that little girl had, nor was it looked like the tattoo of those two big Azgedian. He even asked the AI to replay the video recording for that meeting, just to be sure.

 _Hm...Seems like each village of Azgeda had different types of tattoos. The little girl's did look like wind blowing the clouds, and the other two big guys had some birds like in their face, and this guy has a type of leaves on his forehead. Maybe this is the way they distinguish people from different tribes?_

The Azgedian in Straitjacket started to yawn. The interrogation was too tame.

"AZGEDA." Suddenly Whitman just say it evenly, and he saw the man stopped his yawning in the middle, and looked at him with wide-opened eyes.

 _Got ya!_

So he continued to recite the girl's words:

 **"** **Pas houd fleim op, oso Raz Heiplana hon wigod in Hitri de Soncha."**

He didn't have photographic memory. It was the AI in his brain which play the sentence over and over. He just repeated it.

It was enough to have a shock effect on the prisoner. He looked at Whitman with astonishment.

"Raz Heiplana" Whitman said, "oso Raz Heiplana." By the AI's analysis, this most likely meant "the Red Queen".

The man nodded, "Oso Raz Heiplana." He also said.

 _Good, now you speak!_

Whitman use two fingers to point to his eyes, "Raz Heiplana." _I want to see your Red Queen._

The man looked at him with great doubt, then he asked, "Gaf em in? Cos belaik?"

 _What did he just say?_ Whitman was baffled. He knew only one line of Azgedian.

Becca prompted him, "Say 'Hon Raz Heiplana in"."

Whitman gave her a puzzled look, she explained, "I didn't know what he said, so I just repeated with 'I am seeking her'."

 _Alright, worth a try._ So he said it.

This time the man's eyes grew big. "Hon Heiplana in?!"

Whitman nodded to confirm.

He practically jumped up and started to speak very fast. Whitman couldn't even catch a single word. Then he saw the man kept looking at the knots of the straitjacket, "Sis Ai au!"

 _Oh, he wants me to open the jacket._ Whitman hesitated. _Will he commit the suicide right after the jacket is off? Or worse, he will try to kill me first, then commit suicide?_

He took a quick look at Becca. She shrugged.

 _Alright, go with my guts again. I don't think he is capable of killing me with his bare hands._

With no more hesitation, he loosened the knots for him. Very soon the straitjacket was off.

"Piecia, lukot!" He patted Whitman's shoulder, "Yuj piecia!"

" Uh? You're welcome?" Whitman blurted.

"Breik 'so au?" He asked, and looked at the door.

"Yeah, breik 'so au." Whitman agreed. He opened the door and stuck his head out carefully.

Dennis was enjoying the Whisky. He didn't know there were drugs in it.

Only 5 minutes later, he crouched on the table and fell asleep.

 _Good! Can't believe my plan is working!_

He walked to Dennis and started taking his clothes off. The Azgedian would wear his clothes as a disguise, and they would both get out of Mount Weather before anyone found Dennis.

Which also means, he would be a fugitive of Mount Weather from then on. It will be another long time until he could see his wife and son again, if that was even possible.

 _No time to think of that. Right now this guy is my best shot to see the Red Queen._

Whitman helped the Azgedian wearing the jumpsuit of Dennis, then put some dirt on the name tag so it's harder to read.

He put a finger on his lips, "Don't say anything, just shut up."

The Azgedian even understood, "Shof op." He also put his finger on his lips.

"Yeah, shof up." Whitman couldn't help wondering. Maybe Azgedian language was not so hard after all.

 _Now all I need to do, is taking the elevator 10 level up, and took one of the jeeps. If anyone asked, I will say the President gave me another secret task._

The elevator door opened, Jason Wallace was inside.

"Hi, Joe! What a coincidence!" Jason exclaimed, "I am just looking for you."

 _Oh, no! Talking about coincidence! You are the last one I want to see now._ Whitman couldn't believe he had such bad luck.

"Come in, what are you waiting for?" Jason beckoned him, "Do you know that there is a new UFO landed in Canada…"

He stopped when he took a look at the Azgedian, "Hey, you are not Dennis."

An alarm raised up, "Warning! Prisoner break out. Warning! Prisoner break out!"

"What the hell is this, Joe?" Jason asked Whitman.

"I am so sorry, Sir!" Whitman pointed his gun at the President, whom he swore to protect. "I am truly truly sorry!"


	10. Chapter 10 - Reapers

Revision 1.0

Note: Dear readers, thank you so much to read this far! My poor language skill should be obvious by now. I follow the same way I wrote my Chinese novels: short and to the point. This way more things can happen within the same chapter. Therefore my story is not depicting things very vividly. I always avoid using long parapgraphs to describe things, except very important scenes.

Right now the book is being reviewed and edited for the first revision. More description and background will be added. Also hope many logical problems and grammatical errors will be spotted and corrected. And I sincerely appreciate that you are being the few readers who follow this book.

The whole book turned out to be better than I had thought. Originally Chloe and Mark had a brutal bad ending. So glad I changed it, because reading the first draft is really not pleasant. Now I am very happy with the official ending.

Also from this chapter on, the content will become more and more disturbing and uncomfortable. You really need to have an open mind for the following chapters. If you are a teenager, please don't read it any more. At this point, the story has officially stepped into a "too much" territory.

===#===#===

Somewhere in the east Montreal, a group of 12 shadows trod sneakingly on a narrow road.

It was another dark night with no moon. The whole area was in complete darkness. One could barely see their hands right in front of them, except for this group of people.

Those 12 guys all equipped with night goggles and assault rifles. In their view, the world was an eerie place with various grey shapes, but at least they could see.

The man in the front suddenly held up a fist. Everyone stopped.

"Found them?" A girl's voice whispered.

The leading one nodded, "In that house, only 200 yards away."

"How do you know that's them?" The girl kept asking.

"Chloe, no one else would hung a deer's carcass over a bonfire like that."

"Do they have any night watch?"

"Yup, I can see one, but from the way he sits, I'd say he already fell asleep."

Chloe was glad, "Very good, Henry! You are doing a great job here."

Then she turned to her group of militia and declared, "I chose you because all of you know how to handle the weapon. Those savages wanted a war with us? Now it's time they get a taste of it!"

All of them nodded in unison.

"Let's move out." Chloe commanded, "Follow Henry, don't make a sound."

Silently, this group of well-armed minutemen fanned out and followed the leading man toward the house.

===#===#===

At the same moonless night, a jeep was running on a highway without lights on. Joe Whitman was wearing the same night goggles while drove at a dangerous high speed. Next to him in the passenger seat was the President of the United States, Jason Wallace. He wore a full anti-radiation suit with oxygen mask. The young Azgadian sat behind them, looking at both with curious eyes.

"I am very very sorry, Sir!" Whitman said it again to Jason Wallace.

"For God sake, Joe!" Jason grunted, "How many times do you have to say it? Stop it already."

"Yes, Sir!" Whitman said it almost reflectively, then he asked, "Is your breathing OK? Do you have any leaks in your suit?"

Jason was getting irritated, "The suit is fine, for the 1000th time." He pointed out, "You don't really act like a kidnapper, you know?"

"No, Sir!" He replied it like he was still a military officer. "I didn't have this intention at all, Sir."

"Stop the 'Sir', please. I really hate it."

"Yes...uh, Jason."

"So tell me why you did it? Didn't you swear an oath to protect me?"

"I am sorry, s… uh… Jason. I am really sorry!"

"Oh, for God's sake!" Jason rolled his eyes, "Sometimes I really want to smack your head."

"Alright, alright. Here should be fine." Whitman pulled the jeep to a gradual stop, "From here, you just follow the highway back. It's about 30 minutes walk, and you should see Mount Weather. It should be another 2 hours walk until you get back, sir."

He handed him a pair of night-goggles and a pistol, "This is for your protection. I am pretty sure there is no one around, but you never know."

Jason took the goggles and the gun. He looked at Whitman confused, "Joe, you haven't answered my question yet."

"What question, ss...uh...Jason?"

"Why you are do this?" the President observed him like a hawk.

Whitman sighed, "I have more than a thousand people to protect, sir."

"What kind of people?" Then Jason got it, "You mean the people in New Metro?"

"Yes...Jason. They chose me to be their leader, so I have to do something."

"By kidnapping me?" He was not pleased.

"No, no...Something else, but afraid I cannot tell you." Whitman took a look at the Azgedian in the backseat. "Sorry that I dishonored my oath to you!"

Jason started to understand, "I see. You are doing something you don't want us to involve." He nodded with pride, " You have great answers to my question, soldier! Your oath should be more about protecting people, not just me. You didn't break it. You just made a difficult decision, that's all."

"Thank you, uh… Jason!"

Jason smiled, "No, I should be the one who thank you. You make me realize my duty of being the President again. I should also do my part."

"Uh...what do you mean, ss...?"

"You have a radio in your jeep, right?"

"Yes, sir. Oops, sorry..."

"It's fine. Old habits die hard, I know." Jason said, "Use that radio if you need any backup. If it's an emergency, call the def-con directly, and we will send a missile to your provided coordination."

"Wow, sir, that's …" Whitman couldn't believe it.

Jason got down the jeep, and continued, "When I get back, I will tell everyone that you were under my direction to … uh… perform a deceiving act for our prisoner…" He pointed at the Azgedian in the back, who had no idea. "So you were just following my orders, understand?"

"I … uh … I …" Whitman tried to say something, but he choked.

"Go soldier. Go save your people!" Jason closed the door and hit the side twice. **PA...PA…**

Whitman jumped down the jeep, and gave Jason the best salute he had ever done.

The President returned him a salute with a smile.

===#===#===

Chloe never felt this high before. Her whole body was weightless. Her mind was crystal clear and focused.

In her mind, she knew what it was: adrenaline overdose. It was exactly the reason those wing-suit flyers kept jumping off cliffs: to get a high like that.

Once she shot the first bullet into the Azgedian watcher's head, her brain started to pump out the intoxicating chemical nonstop. By the moment she charged into the house with others, she was already over the limit.

 **PANG...PANG...PANG...PANG...**

A slaughter ensued. Most of those Azgedians were still sleeping on the floor. Some of them took out knives and slashed at them, only got shot with dozens of bullets like bee hives.

At that thrilling moment, any moving object was a target. She had difficulties even to tell the friends from foes. Twice she almost shot her followers.

When the whole thing settled down, She started breathing again. A serious headache and dizziness attacked her. So she sat on a couch with the still smoking rifle, grabbing her hair and bearing the after effect of the overdose.

After a long while, Henry King came up, he reported the result, "Ma'am, we got 20 of those savages. All dead. None escaped." Unlike Chloe, he seemed very calm in an intense situation like that. Years of working as a security guard in conflict-prone space stations did pay off.

Chloe nodded slowly, "Good! What about our casualties?"

"Two injured." He briefed, "Both hurt by a child. Somehow a boy got a bow and started shooting poison arrows."

They both could hear the painful moaning of both men. They probably had only 10 minutes to live.

"What should we do with them?" Henry asked. "Kill them now to end their pain?"

"Of course not. Find the antidote, please." Chloe said, "Those bastards must have it on their bodies."

"Yes, Ma'am." He went away.

Amber and Jacob got close. "Chloe, this is terrible!" She said, "Half of them are children!"

"Children?!" Chloe sneered, "A child just shot two of us with poison arrows. They are not children. Each of them is deadly as others."

Amber looked at Chloe with concerns, "Chloe, you are getting more and more scary. You know that?"

Chloe held her aching head, didn't say anything.

"I love you, sis. I appreciate everything you did." Amber carefully said, "But if you are really going to see our parents now. They probably won't like you like this."

"What did you say?!" Chloe stood up from the couch, but the dizziness made her leaning to one side. Jacob held her arm immediately.

"Sis, I am really concerned about you." Amber stepped back. " The way you talked, the things you did. You are like a different person."

Chloe let out a little snigger, "Then tell me, what would you have done differently? You think those hunters would let us live if they have found us first?"

Amber bit her lip.

"I just want to take you guys into Montreal, so you can see your parents again." Chloe continued, "If you don't like my way, sis, how about you take the command? Come on, what should we do next?"

"I … I …" Amber lowered her head, "I don't know what to do."

"Yes, you do." Chloe stared at her, "You want to go back to your home as bad as Mark, am I right?"

"Yes, but I will not..."

"You will not do what?" Chloe asked, "You will not kill anyone? Then how do we even get close to Montreal? You think those savages will just let us pass? No, if we don't kill them, they will start to hunt us. Then we will be the ones who die."

Amber couldn't say anything. A tear dropped from her cheek. Jacob let go of Chloe and patted on Amber's back.

Chloe watched her watery eyes, "Sis, you have the highest Earth skill, you should know what to do, but you don't want to face the challenges. Do you?"

"I am sorry…" Amber sobbed and went away with Jacob.

Chloe slowly dropped down into the couch again. _Amber was easy, compared to the boy scout._ She thought. _Now Mark is coming, what should I tell him?_ She felt her headache worsened.

===#===#===

It was already morning. The Sun was shining behind layers of clouds. On a highway going north, the jeep pulled to a sudden stop. A ghastly scene shocked both the driver and the passenger.

"Fuck! Is this a Zombie Apocalypse?" Whitman exclaimed with widened eyes, "Why so many cars and dead bodies?"

In front of the jeep, a long field of dead bodies mixed with cars filled up all four lanes. The scene eerily reminded him of some old TV series and other zombie movies.

Becca showed up in the passenger seat. She looked at the nightmarish sight and frowned, "Those corpse were not rotten yet. They just died recently."

"Oh, good morning, Becca!" Whitman talked to the non-existent her, which confused the Azgedian in the backseat. "What do you think about this?"

"We have to go down and do some investigation." Becca suggested, "Find out what killed them, so we can avoid the same fate."

"Wow, wisdom from our first Commander." Whitman had a little sarcasm, "Somehow you always tell me to do things I don't want to."

"Or you can just drive the jeep over their dead bodies." Becca shrugged, "It's your life, your choice."

"I knew you would say that too." Whitman sighed. Then he turned to his new friend, "STAY...HERE." He gestured.

"STE...RAUN" The Azgedian understood. Whitman nodded. Though he still couldn't understand Azgedian, both could easily communicate with body language. During that trip, they both learned some phrases from each other.

…

"Severe Radiation Symptoms." Becca concluded. "Their bodies were not injured, but skin turned red and dark with blisters. Vomiting with blood here and there. Yup, all of them died of exposure to lethal level of radiation."

"Wait a minute!" Whitman was perplexed, "If that's radiation, how could they not die three years ago, but now?" He pointed at those corpse, "Everyone knows the importance of anti-radiation suits, but why none of them wearing it?"

"I have a hunch." Becca said, "Check their IDs."

"What? Why?" Whitman was even more confused, "You think they were underage?"

"Just check them, please?" Becca explained, "There is a lot more info on those cards."

Whitman reluctantly complied. It was quite gruesome to search bodies which skin was rotting off. The smell was unbearable.

He ended up gathering 10 IDs, which gave him a big surprise. "Holy molly! All of them were Canadians."

"Canadians?" Becca contemplated the implication from the evidence. "Hm... I have a little theory."

"Well, be my guest, then." Whitman teased, "Relax, no one else will hear it."

"I know that ALIE like Canadians. She probably didn't nuke them three years ago. So in Canada, the radiation level was never lethal."

"Wow, that's good news!" Whitman said cheerfully, "I always want to move to Canada myself. Then what's the bad news?"

Becca was serious, "The bad news is that somehow they couldn't stay in Canada. Those people tried to escape something, so they came down along the highway, but none of them knew the deadly consequences of high level of radiation. Therefore, before even realized the threat, they just dropped down on the highway like this."

"What a stupid way to die!" Whitman exclaimed, "They enjoyed the radiation-free zone for so long, and now just decided to come down and get killed? Man, what is so terrible in Canada?" he shook his head, "Maybe mutant bigfoots, like the giant gorilla I met before?"

Becca disputed it, "Cannot be. Canadians have lots of guns. It's something they couldn't counter with guns."

"Wow, are you kidding me?" Whitman was awed, "What kind of things cannot counter with guns?"

"Azgedians, obviously." Becca suggested, "Remember what that little girl said? One can kill a hundred silently?"

"Oh, yeah…" Whitman looked at the horizon, "Now it makes all kinds of sense. That brat did say they never shared territories. So everywhere they go, they just wipe out the locals. Those poor Canadians were refugees!"

"Very likely so." Becca agreed, "Just from the frantic exile, we know how brutal those Azgedian can be. You need to be very careful with their Queen."

"Hm…" Whitman frowned. He took a look back inside the jeep, seeing his Azgedian friend gave him an "OK" gesture. "Then why that one is so tame? I thought he should have put a knife on my throat already."

"I think he regards you as the hero who saved him."

"Yeah, but if the Azgedian were so violent and hateful like the girl said, then that guy should have done something by now. I am tired of being watchful for him."

Becca thought about it, "No matter he's violent or peaceful, it's for his best interest that he takes us to his Queen. Maybe he just wants to put a knife at your throat at the last moment, when you are surrounded."

"Really encouraging, Becca!" Whitman bitterly said, "Your idea of seeing her is getting less and less appealing."

"But do you want people in Polis ended up like those Canadians?" Becca asked, "Do you want Nicole die?"

Whitman was surprised to hear that, "No, Nicole will go the DC. She's a woman, and she's wounded."

"Yet she's still the leader of the DC tribe." Becca said, "Given what I know about her, she won't leave the city. Not after her husband died for it."

"Huuu… Women are so stubborn." Whitman sighed, then he realized, "Wait a minute! What does Nicole have do with me? I am not her husband."

"But do you want to see her killed by those savages? After you just saved her?" Becca asked. "Along with thousands of people in Polis?"

Whitman lowered his head and cursed. _That little devil Ethan! Now I know why he made me taking care of Nicole for two weeks! I do care about her now._

Finally he said, "OK, you win, Becca. Let's continue our journey." He got back in the jeep and started to drive around the bodies and cars.

===#===#===

Up in the space. The Ark.

The ring became a totalitarian police state. A new round of sweeping was carried out. Anyone dared to stay in the center squares were immediately arrested and brought to jail. Many of them committed suicide during the arrests, but none of them deterred the aggressively abused force from the United Ark guards.

The new brutal law was in full effect. In only one week, over 1000 prisoners, including more than 500 protesters, were executed. Over 300 committed suicides in the square or in jail. An overwhelmingly dark mood suffocated everyone in the whole ring. Suddenly they were worrying about their own lives. No one was willing to talk to others in the open. They just went to their jobs like usual, but no more smile on their faces. Their eyes filled with emptiness.

There were still people starved themselves in their own quarters, but none of the news would leak anything about that. All those deaths would be labeled as "heart attack" or "overdosed" or other causes. The leading cause of death, hunger, that month miraculously dropped to 0.

Theodore Kane was busy sending his troop out to investigate an arson, when a technician called him out, "Sir, there is something you need to see."

"What is it?" Kane got close to him, "It'd better worth my time."

"Sir, one of the wristbands suddenly has a signal." The technician pointed to the screen. "It just came back online 5 minutes ago!"

"Hm… Interesting." Kane looked at the picture of a young man on the screen, "Mark Trudeau? Who the hell is this boy?"

"He's one of the 100 grounders, sir!" The technician replied, "I met him before. He is a nice guy."

"But why after the whole week, only now his wristband is on?" Kane shook his head, "It doesn't make any sense."

"I don't know why either." The technician said, "But this is good news, right? The ground is survivable."

"Hold your horses." Kane said, "What if this is just a monkey who picked up the wristband and wear it?"

"This is not a monkey, sir." The technician said, "It's definitely a man, and his vital signatures match the owner, Mark Trudeau."

"So you think all those people died horrible deaths, but only this Mark guy suddenly came back to life and walks around?" Kane had a hard time believing it, "Do you think he's Jesus Christ?"

"No, sir, I don't think so." The technician knew better than to argue with him, "I will keep monitoring him and find out why."

"Don't waste too much of your time." Kane ordered, "Your job should be monitoring our own people. We are in a huge crisis for God sake."

"Yes, Sir."

 _Should I tell this to Jaha?_ Kane considered, then denied it. _Chancellor Jaha had too many issues to handle already. They have to come back to this matter at a much later time._

"Is the Chancellor here?" Someone at the gate asked. Kane sighed. _What now?_

"He is obviously not here." Kane answered, "I am the security chief. Can I help you with something?"

The man looked to be an Asian, around 50 years old. He wore a heavy pair of glasses. His suit was old, but still an expensive brand.

"I am Dr. Green, from Australian Assange Station" He extended his hand, "Good to see you, Mr. Kane."

"Dr. Green?" Kane tried his best recalling this guy, "Oh, I remember. You are the algae guy. What's the matter? Something wrong in the Hydrofarms?"

Dr. Green shook his head, "No, my algae is doing fine. I am here about the other food."

"What about it?" Kane asked, "Are we running out again?"

Dr. Green replied, "Yes, we are running out anything with protein. All the worms were infected by a mysterious virus. We are suspecting someone put the virus in the feeding fields on purpose."

"OK, so no worms. " Kane said, " What's the big deal about worms anyway?"

Dr. Green looked around, making sure no one was around, then he whispered to him, "Mr. Kane, those worms grow fast and they are not picky about the food. We had been feeding them garbage and dead bodies, and they just eat them all up. All our synthetic meat are made of those worms, but soon we will not have enough to make those meat any more."

"So glad you told me that." Kane felt nauseous. He just enjoyed such synthesized meat for lunch. "What can we do about it? Ain't it your job to figure something out?"

"This time we are almost out of options. Hrrrrrrr" Dr. Green had a long sigh, "Without the proteins from worms, we are facing a very serious problem. Our muscles will contract and lose the strength. Our bodies will become weaker and weaker…"

"Stop, stop, Doctor." Kane put a hand on him, "I am not a scientist. So I have no idea what you are talking about, or how to solve the problem. You gotta take it up to Mr. Jaha."

"Yeah, that's why I was looking for him in the first place." Dr. Green agreed, "But at the meantime, could you do me a little favor?"

"I don't know you too well. Dr. Green." Kane said, "What kind of favor are you asking?"

Dr. Green seemed hesitant, but still he asked, "I know all the morgues are full, but would you keep those bodies in fridges a little longer?"

"What are you talking about?" Kane was a little lost, then he realized, "Oh, those 1000 bodies? What do you want to do with them?"

"Didn't you hear what I just said? The worms are dying. They cannot provide enough protein for us any more." Dr. Green explained, "On the other hand, if we just skip the worms…"

Kane opened his mouth wide. He was not someone who was easily shocked, but at that moment, he was genuinely filled with a dreadful thought.

 _My God ! Did we sink ourselves so low that we have to do this?!_

"Hm… I think only Chancellor Jaha can make that decision." Kane quickly said, "I am very busy. Bye, Dr. Green." He hastily walked out the control room like running away from a reaper.


	11. Chapter 11 - Darkness

Revision 1.0

Note: I am serious, guys. Like I said in the last chapter, the content from here and forward is disturbing. You really need to have an open mind for these. If you are a teenager, please don't read it any more.

===#===#===

After the last charred meat was consumed, Helen knew that she had to go outside for food.

Her father was lying on a makeshift bed made of cardboard boxes with bandages wrapped around him like a mummy. He had broken bones in his shoulder, rib cage and leg. Even eating things caused him great pain, let alone walking. He should stay inside the big fridge with the suit to protect him from any radiation leaking in, while Helen would go and search for anything edible.

There were still around 400 people in the building while the nuclear blast wave impacted the building like a huge bomb just detonated next to them. Glasses shattered and shot at them like millions of razor shards. All the floors were tilted. Furniture flew up and rammed at them like angry bulls. Instantly more than 100 were killed, and 100 more would follow in a few days.

Still, it was a miracle that the building itself didn't collapse. Perhaps it was due to the hard work of the designers, who had nuclear blast in their mind while drawing the blue prints. The whole tower was bent like a palm tree in a hurricane, but just like a palm tree, it righted itself up and stood still.

There were around 200 Second Dawns who barely survived the close call, but their real survival game just began.

The kitchen was the first wave they swarmed. Everything edible, even frozen meat were seized and fought over. Helen joined the chaotic gang fight like everyone else, but she only got a handful of burnt meat in her procession. After the kitchen was picked clean, all the thugs disappeared like their sudden surging, leaving Helen and her severely injured father behind.

The meat of course didn't last long. On the second day, Helen decided that she must head out, while she still had some strength left.

She inspected all the wounds and broken bones of her father, making sure he had enough pain killer. She put a water jug next to him, and left the building reluctantly.

Through the suit's helmet, she saw New Metro became a huge trash ground. All those beautiful tall buildings were gone. Some of them collapsed on their own weight, the rest of them fell aside and crashed hard on the ground across many blocks. It was hard to tell where the streets originally were. All she could see were hundreds of piles of rubble and thousands of body parts littering around. Many people, with or without suits, were busy looking for things. A few fought each other and gunshots were broken out. Crying, screaming and moaning were everywhere. Lots of children, elders and women just sat there, hugging others and watching the sky with empty eyes.

Helen wanted to tell those victims they need to find a shelter immediately, they need to wear a suit and find some anti-radiation pills right away. Those were the basics she was taught in the Mega Tower. Yet she found herself not saying any of that. Even afraid that if people were reminded how important the suit was, they would rush at her and tear her apart.

Some faces started turning red, then black spots appeared. Some impulsively clawed at their legs until the skin was scraped off. Helen knew those early symptom of acute radiation would spread fast. She just wanted to find some food before witnessing more gruesome sights.

In a broken bakery store, she was overjoyed to find Lola, who kept scratching her arms.

"Lola, you are alive!" She happily hugged her. "I thought you were dead."

"Helen, my God!" Lola was surprised too, "I thought you were the one dead. Where did you find the rad-suit?"

"In the Mega Tower," Helen replied, "it didn't go down. We have plenty of suits there."

"Oh, thank our Savior Cadogan! He's really blessing us!" Lola cheered. She took a birthday cake from the shelf and put it inside a bag. "Let's go back, quickly, before anyone seeing us." Then she added, "Hey, you need to take a cake with you too."

"But…" Helen watched the food with hesitation. "We are stealing…"

"Post Nuclear War 101, didn't you learn?" Lola said in a low voice, "Anything is free game now." She put a big cake in a bag and handed to Helen, "Don't let anyone see our food. Or they will rob us, or worse."

Helen nodded. Lola obviously took a lot more post-apocalyptic classes than her.

...

When they were back in the Mega Tower, Lola grabbed a suit and wore it quickly, "Wow, those itches are killing me! Damn radiation!" She found a bottle and popped 10 pills in her mouth, then swallowed them without water.

"No, you took too much…" Helen was concerned, "The side effect is strong."

Lola read the label, "Depression, suicidal thoughts? Ha! I don't need drugs for that." Then she asked, "Did you find your father?"

Helen nodded.

"Why he didn't go with you?" Lola was a little confused, then she guessed, "He's seriously injured, right?"

Helen nodded again. A tear went down her cheek.

"Owww… It's OK, Helen." Lola wiped her face, "We will take care of him, alright?" She smiled, "We both went through so much together. You are like a sister to me. So let's work together again, OK? Nothing we cannot handle."

Helen tried to smile, but she couldn't.

They entered the tower in darkness. Lola led her back to the kitchen floor, and shared the cake with her father.

Daniel thanked her profusely, saying she was like a savior to both of them. Lola just smiled politely.

"What should we do next?" Daniel asked.

"Well, I was here a lot earlier than you guys." Lola started to lecture, "I attended many classes. Can't believe today I can actually use the knowledge."

"Since that damned bunker was not opened, the first thing we should do, is to gather as many anti-radiation suits and pills as we can, because those things will help us through the first month."

"What will happen in the first month?" Helen couldn't help asking.

Lola nodded slowly like a good teacher, "Most people will die from the radiation, obviously. Their bodies will be everywhere, but very slow to rot. The radiation will actually preserve those bodies for us."

"What?!" Helen put her hand to the mouth, "Are you suggesting..."

"Yes, I am." Lola said it evenly, like stating a fact. "Very soon all edible food in the city will be consumed. Then we will have no choice but to start eating human bodies."

"They taught you this in the class?" Daniel asked. He paid very close attention to her words.

"Only in the highest level ones." Lola said, "But I overheard some people discussing them in the cafe. They didn't notice the floor cleaning girls like me."

"Did they object to this barbaric idea?" Helen asked, "This is very different than what I used to hear."

"Ha, love and forgiveness never worked after a global disaster." Lola had a little contempt, "We only preach those fake ideals to new members, so they will accept us easily. The real issues they talked about all day long, were how to live at all costs."

"I am so glad you tell us now." Daniel said, "My girl always has some unrealistic dreams."

"Dadddd…." Helen was not pleased, "What dreams?"

"Like one day she will leave this tower and find someone she loves." Daniel was bitter, "Yet I know the dire consequences of leaving the cult."

"Can we not talk about it, please?" Helen pouted, "We are interrupting Lola here."

"Sorry, what was I?" Lola continued her little lecture, "Oh, yeah, eating people. It actually happened many times in our history, just no one wanted to talk about it. Historians always shun this subject and turned blind eyes over it. However, just think about it. What kind of food could you eat, when a castle was under siege for months? This is not a teenager TV series. In reality we all need to consume 2000 calories of food to maintain our body. Eating less than that, our body will start losing weight. If you have only 1000 calories a day, in a couple of months you will lose the strength of walking, let alone the ability to fight off all the threats and survive."

"So yeah, we need to start consuming human flesh as early as possible, before they got rotten on the ground." Lola looked at her, "Helen, you and I need to gather those body parts on the street and put them here in the fridge before they go bad."

"But those are people's arms and legs..." Helen felt sick just thought of them.

"They have no use any more, the owners are all dead." Lola said, "This is a very important lesson you have to learn. We are just animals, like chickens and pigs. Think about it."

Helen shook her head in disbelief. Daniel nodded slowly, "Thank you Lola for this lesson! Helen will go out with you."

"Dadddd…"

Daniel continued to talk to Lola, "We can stockpile the fridge, but what's the use? Without power, it will not be cold."

"That's the second thing we need to worry. Power." Lola said, "We have lots of solar panels on the 13th floor. If someone can hook it up, then we have plenty of electricity to power the fridge."

Daniel nodded, "I can help you with that. I cannot move, but at least I can show you how to splice those wires."

"Wait, do you hear that?" Helen suddenly said, "Someone just got on this floor."

Lola turned off her headlight. Everyone fell to silence in the darkness. Helen grabbed a cutting knife.

The gate of the fridge opened, a man with a lamp called out, "Hey, is anyone inside?"

"Ken!" Helen was glad to hear his voice, "We are right here. My God, I thought you were…"

Helen's words stopped mid-sentence. She watched Ken with mouth opened.

He was still wearing his usual butcher's outfit, and like usual his outer coat were full of blood, but Helen knew those were not animal's blood.

===#===#===

"Stop it. Stop IT!" Whitman woke up with loud shouts, which also woke up the Azgedian in the back seat.

"Pardin, pardin…" Whitman quickly said. "Natwana."

The Azgedian nodded and lied down again.

"What did you see?" Becca displayed in his passenger's seat again.

Whitman took a quick look at the back, then talked in a low voice, "A nightmare."

"About Helen again?"

Whitman nodded, "What kind of this Cadogan cult was it?"

"The worst kind, of course." Becca said, "They would take all their members' personal possession then make them work like slaves."

"Those are not the worst." Whitman grunted, "They were talking about eating humans in such a casual tone, like discussing dinner dishes! My God! No wonder Helen's mind was so dark! She had been living with cannibals from the beginning!"

Becca sighed, "Yeah, I had a guess like that a long time ago. People will not break bad for no reason. Helen wouldn't suddenly turn dark, either."

"What did she do to you?" Whitman couldn't help asking.

Becca couldn't say.

"Alright, I hope I can find out more in the future." Whitman finally said, "Those dreams were getting more and more disturbing. You sure you want to know?"

Becca nodded slowly.

"I knew you would want that." Whitman said, "We all need to know the truth about her." He started the jeep, "But for now, let's keep going north."

… …

The jeep was going over a wood bridge when the Azgedian suddenly yelled, "Hod Op! Hod Op!"

He saw Whitman's confusion, then changed the language, "Stop! Stop!"

Whitman hit the brake hard. **GEEEEEGEEEE…** The jeep almost tipped over.

"What's wrong, Maldon?" Whitman asked. "Fo bilike?"

"Jos hod op." Looking out of the window, he shouted, "Osir ste klir."

"We are clear?" Whitman asked, "What do you mean 'we are clear'?"

Maldon didn't reply. A short moment later, a shout came back, "Shoun yu de Medo!"

"What was that?" Whitman didn't understand, but Maldon already opened the door and got out. "Jesus, I don't even see them." Whitman stepped out of the jeep as well. Hands in the air.

Maldon shouted, "Ai laik Maldon kom kolakru, en ai gaf gouthru klir."

Whitman didn't understand what he said, so he was just standing there like an idiot.

A loud voice bellowed, "Yu ste on gona?"

Maldon confirmed, "Ste in."

"Den cos bilaik yu wan em op?" The voice came again. Whitman followed the sound and finally saw that it was a man hiding in a tree, right in front of him.

Maldon pointed at Whitman, "Cos em sad 'ai hod Raz Heiplana in'."

"Hod Heiplana in?!" The man in the tree was astounded, then he laughed out, "Hod Heiplana in?! Ho, ho… Yo spichen!"

"Nau spichen." Maldon replied, "Em hodnes este daun!"

"Hahahaha…" "Hohohoho…" suddenly the whole tree was laughing, making Whitman very confused. _What the hell was Maldon talking about?_

"Yo souda gyon." After the laughter stopped, someone up there said, "Laidon, lukot."

Someone else added, "Ge yu hodnes da oso Heiplana!" Then everyone laughed again.

Whitman watched it and think, _Weird, but since they called me "lukot", then I should be safe._

Both got back into the jeep and started moving again. Only then Whitman saw a huge wood log hanging in a tree. If anyone let that big log swing down, no doubt his whole jeep would have been smashed into pulp.

"Precia, Maldon" He said. The Azgedian in his backseat just nodded a little.

===#===#===

"Wait, Mark!" Chloe called from behind. "Please don't walk away like this."

Mark stopped in his track, but still didn't turn back to her, "I said it, Chloe. I am not taking this off. Don't push me!" He touched the wristband on his arm.

Chloe came up and pled, "Please, Mark! You can keep the thing. I don't mind. But please don't ignore me like this!"

"Like what?" Mark was getting impatient. "Do I need to ask you for being excused, Your Highness?"

Chloe looked at him with tears welling up, "No, no, please don't treat me like this, after all I have done…"

"Yes, exactly!" Mark was a little irritated, "After all you have DONE." He tried to walk away, but Chloe put her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly. "Mark, don't go, don't go. I know I was wrong, I am sorry! I am so sorry!"

Mark sighed. He struggled out of her bracing, and tried to said it gently, "Chloe, I am not mad at you. I just need some space now. I need some time to think it through, OK?"

"What do you need to think?" Chloe said with tears circling in her eyes, "And I don't want any space between you and me. This place is so dangerous. I don't…"

"Enough, enough, Chloe." Mark put a hand to stop her. "You know what I mean. A space is just a way of saying 'let's cool off for now'. OK? Right now I don't want you to do anything for me. Please, leave me alone." He then walked away, leaving Chloe crying behind.

After a while, Amber came up to her and apologized, "I am sorry, Chloe. You know Mark. He was just like that. He doesn't want to see any bad things." She handed her a cloth.

Chloe wiped her tears with the cloth, "Thank you… Amber! I am...just ...so...so… I did everything for him...but...but…" She cried again.

Amber put her hand around her shoulder, "I know, I know. I've seen it all. You are the only girl who sacrifices so much for my brother. Please, don't be mad at him. He will turn around."

"But when?" Chloe asked. "And how?"

"I am sorry, but it probably will take some time." Amber thought. _You just slaughter 20 people, including 10 children. It will take anyone a long time to forgive you._

Chloe shook her head, "Here we are so deep in the enemy territory, we don't even know if we can be alive tomorrow." She wiped another tear, "I wanted to ask him to marry me after seeing his parents, now everything is wrong! Wrong!"

 _Oh, you want to ask him that? What about me? Can't you wait until I tell Mark my feelings, like we previously agreed?_ Amber was not pleased.

Seeing Amber's expression, Chloe realized she said too much, "OH, I am sorry! I forgot about that. Have you told him?"

Amber shook her head. "Now he's angry. It is harder to tell him that."

"I am sorry for that too!" Chloe said, "But please do it soon. There was never a good time."

Amber agreed with that, and she nodded.

No one knew when Jacob sneaked up to them. Seeing the girls surprise, he just showed a grin, "Hey, ladies, we are ready to move. You coming?"

"We are going already?" Chloe was worried, "But Mark just walked away…"

"He will be around." Jacob said, "He is a grown man already. We don't need to hold his hands."

"Yeah...but…" Chloe was still hesitating. Amber pulled her away.

… …

The whole afternoon they were marching in silence. They were getting close to the city, but hadn't encountered any sign of hunters yet.

"Halt !" Henry King put his fist up. The whole group froze.

He put his binocular to his eyes and observed, "There is some smoke there. Everyone be careful. They could be around."

Mark had a binocular too, and he suddenly excited, "Wait, that's my old house!" He ran toward it.

"Stop there." Henry King shouted at him, but Mark just kept running.

Chloe ran after him. The rifle was too heavy. So she dumped the weapon along the way.

That 500 yards seemed like an eternity. She ran and ran, then she saw Mark was fighting with someone, so she ran a lot more.

Mark was surprised to find a little boy in front of his house, who wore a leather coat like other hunters. They both stared at each other for a short while, then the boy took out a knife and dashed at him.

"No, don't..." Mark was dodging his thrust, "I don't want to hurt you."

He felt his leg a searing pain. He jumped back and saw blood seeping out from his leg. The boy's knife was quite sharp.

"No, no, no…" He waved at him frantically. "Please don't."

The boy just sprung at him like a little tiger. "Nau yu wan!" His knife swooshed down and cut through Mark's palm.

 **PANG…** Chloe's pistol shot a bullet through the boy's body. He cried out in pain, but soon his throat were filled with his own blood.

Mark pushed him away with his injured hand. He stood up slowly, then turned around to face Chloe. He got the boy's blood all over his face.

 _Why he looked at me like that?_ Chloe was truly afraid. She threw away her handgun immediately, "I am sorry! He was trying to kill you."

"I know." Mark was surprisingly even. He picked up the handgun, "Other hunters might be here. You need to hide."

Chloe nodded. For that moment, she had no idea what Mark was thinking. _I just killed another child. Will he be even angrier at me? Will he treat me like a stranger from now on? Oh, no, what have I done?_

Mark inspected his bloody hand, "Huh, no poison. Guess this is my lucky day." He then walked into the house with the gun.

Finally everyone caught up with Chloe. All of them looked at her with inquisitive eyes.

Chloe didn't know what to say. She just pointed at the dead boy on the ground. Henry gave out some commands, and the group fanned out to search for other hunters.

…...

 **PANG...PANG...** Two gunshots suddenly came out of the house. Chloe ran into it, and found Mark in the basement, wiping his face. Two hunters laid down on the floor, brains blown. Red puddles formed under the dead bodies.

Mark watched her coming down, then said in a strange calm voice, "Guess what? Those two bastards drank too much of my father's wine. Even the gunshot didn't wake them up. Their son died for nothing."

There was something icy-cold in his voice. Chloe felt like he was a total stranger.

"Hey, Mark, my dear." She carefully approached him, "Are you OK?"

Mark let out a bitter laugh, "Of course I am not OK, Chloe. Are you dumb or what? My home was occupied by those savages, and I just killed all of them. How can I be OK?" His voice became a low sobbing. "And...I… am … so… afraid…"

 _You are so afraid to see your parent's bodies._ Chloe understood. She held his head with her arms, "It's alright, my dear. Everyone is afraid, including me."

Mark hugged her tightly and wept.

 _Oh, good. No more spaces._ Chloe was relaxed a bit, but then she worried. _What happened to Mark now? Will he be fine after this?_

…

Every inch of the house was searched, but no other corpses found. The nearby field was also swept, no new graves or bodies. The burning pit outside had some bone leftovers, but Chloe could easily see those were not human bones.

"Where were my parents?" Mark kept asking everyone, but no one could answer.

"Are you alright, brother?" Amber was concerned, "You look pretty banged up."

"I...I … probably just killed a whole family for nothing...I am not alright." He replied, "There must be something. There must be…"

He kept being very anxious, until late at night, when Chloe came up to him, "I think my parents are in the city." He guessed.

Chloe put her arms around him, "I think so too. They are somewhere in the city. We will find them."

"Yes, I will find them." Mark repeated, "I will find them. I will find them…" He kept murmuring those words on Chloe's lap, and gradually fell asleep.

Chloe gently brushed his golden hair, looked at his thin and almost gaunt face, and sang a very old Chinese song by a long forgotten band, whom Chloe had listened to a thousand times.

 **He rules the world,  
** **His songs express love,  
** **His truth prevails on earth.  
** **But why he was gone and never came back?  
** **Didn't he see smoke and dust covering the sky and future?**

 **Helpless and frigid eyes,  
** **Looking at the sky with tears and anger.  
** **Exclaiming: wars ultimately hurt children.  
I cry out to the world:  
**

 **Amani, Nakupenda. (Peace, Love)  
** **Nakupenda, we ,we. (We love you)  
** **Amani, Nakupenda. (Peace, Love)  
** **Nakupenda, we ,we. (We love you)  
** **…**

Singing the old song and watching the always dark grey sky, her tears dropped down again.


	12. Chapter 12 - Nathalia

Revision 1.0

===#===#===

"Wow! " Whitman couldn't help exclaiming. The view was quite impressive.

The whole mountain was occupied by thousands of white tents of various size. They looked like many white mushrooms covering a gigantic tree trunk. Circumventing the mountain were a long line of wooden fence made of freshly-cut timbers. Thousands of people wearing many kinds of furs and leathers walked within the camp. Hundreds of bonfires were burning and columns of smoke rose like many dragons were dancing. Each bonfire had a circle of Azgedians sitting around. Many of them seemed to be singing and dancing.

Originally Whitman thought Azgedians were just a tribe of nomadic people. He didn't expect to see a whole army of over ten thousand! No, the number should be closer to 20 than 10. And those were just the ones he could see. There might be another mountain that were also full of tents.

None of them were wearing any kind of anti-radiation gears, but none of them seemed to be sick. There were many groups of young men and women practicing various fighting techniques: archery, axe throwing, wrestling and plain kickboxing. Everyone were full of energy. None of them displayed any symptoms of radiation sickness.

Whitman's jeep rolled to a stop in front of an entrance. Maldon jumped down the jeep and did his talking again. The guards were obviously not happy to see Joe Whitman, but somehow Maldon persuaded all of them to let him pass. Of course his weapons, including the Rambo knife and guns, stayed in the jeep.

Maldon led Whitman through one group of Azgedians after another. Seemed everyone knew him well. He spent quite a lot of time just to do the greetings and little chats. Some Azgedians looked at Whitman with strange expressions. Some pointed at him and laughed, making him very uncomfortable.

 _I am one among ten thousand enemies._ Whitman felt his anxiety, _Please, Becca, I trust you with my life. Don't make me regret it._

As they hiked up the mountain, Whitman noticed that the people around him appeared to be stronger and more hostile than the ones on the foothill. Their weapons seemed to be better too. Some of them even had guns.

 _Hm...Seems when I am getting closer to the Queen._ Whitman thought to himself. _The more dangerous these people are._

Finally they reached the biggest tent of the whole mountain. On the top it flew a flag of some leaves, which looked like the tattoo on Maldon's face.

A young boy came out and led them into the tent. There Whitman finally saw the legendary Red Queen, the one predicted in their prophecy. To his disappointment, she looked just like a native Indian woman. She was about 30 years old, wearing a large coat with purely white fur, making her darker skin color more pronounced.

The little girl standing next to her was Nausica, the pompous kid he met back in the Polis.

"You?! What the hell are you doing here?" She was obviously surprised, "And how did an old man like you come here so fast?"

"Who did you called old man? I am only 45." Whitman refuted, "I can still kick your candy ass."

The Red Queen just observed him with fascination. Maldon quickly came up to her and spoke to her in Azgedian.

"Hod Mi in?" the Queen found it absurd, "Yu este daun?"

Maldon nodded. The Queen looked at Whitman, then looked at Maldon, suddenly she laughed.

"Hahahaha...Very funny!"

 _Oh, good, she speak English!_ Whitman relaxed, then he laughed with the Queen.

The Queen stopped the laughter, then asked him, "Hey, what are you laughing at?"

"Hm… I don't know." Whitman said, "I just feel funny."

"You are talking to our Queen. Nathalia, the one in the prophecy." The girl Nausica reminded him, "Shouldn't you at least use the word 'Your Majesty'?"

Nathalia waved at her, "It's OK, Nausica. I don't want that kind of protocols anyway." Then she faced Whitman, "Do you know why I find it so hilarious?"

"I don't know." Whitman shrugged, "Seems every Azgedian laughs at me for some reason."

"Actually it was just a little misunderstanding." The Queen explained, " In our language, 'hod something in', is finding something, but if you say 'hod somebody in', then it means you love someone, romantically."

"Oh, I see…" Whitman pretended to understand. "So?"

"Ha, my nephew Maldon here is telling everyone that you love me. So you are here to make a marriage proposal. Isn't that funny?"

"Oh, shoot!" only then Whitman realized why so much laughter along the road, "That's a freaking big misunderstanding! No, no, no… I am here just to see you."

"Well, the thing is…" The Queen said with a sly smile, "It's our tradition that if someone wants to marry a girl, even if he's from a hostile kru, no one should stop him. That's why you could come all the way here and meet me, because by tradition no one could stop you from asking the question. So now you are telling me, you are not here to marry me, right?"

"No, I already have a wife and son." Whitman said, "Of course I cannot marry you."

"I am so disappointed. In that case, I have no other business with you." the Queen made a gesture, "Feed him to the bear."

"What?!" Before Whitman could react, 4 guards already jumped at him and held him tight. Nausica took out a rope and tied him up quickly.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Whitman shouted, "Yes, Your Majesty, I am here to propose a marriage to you."

"Then I decline." The Queen commanded, "Feed him to the bear."

Those four big guys put him on their shoulders and carried him out. The rope was so tight he could barely move. Just about 30 feet away from the tent, they dumped him near a pole like a trash bag.

An one-thousand-pound polar bear was tied to that pole. The huge white bear woke up and looked at Whitman curiously.

 _Holy Fucking Shit!_ Whitman felt like his whole body went rigid. That thing was even bigger than the giant gorilla back in the Polis. Just one bite, his whole head would be devoured by that big jaw. He couldn't help yelling, "Oh, NO, OH, FUCKING NO!"

The big jaw got very close to his head. He could see moisture puffing out from the black nose. The bear looked directly at his eyes.

He closed his eyes, and his wife and baby son appeared in his mind. It was like a flashback of his whole life. He saw him holding his son, then his wife in wedding gown, then…

A big fat tongue licked his cheeks, making his face all slimy.

He opened his eyes, and found a circle of Azgedians, including the Queen, Nausica, Maldon, and those 4 big guys. They all suddenly burst into laughter.

"Hahahaha…" "Hohohoho…" "Branwoda...hahaha…"

Just as he was wondering what the hell happened, Nausica pointed to the polar bear, "Let me introduce you to our mascot, Winnie the bear. She loves to eat fishes and seals, but never a human being. Say hi to her please."

 _Oh, you bastards!_ Whitman was mad, but at the same time relaxed a lot. _The bear is actually harmless. Thank God!_

With suppressed giggles, those big guys untied his rope. The Red Queen extended her hands to him, "Just call me Nathalia. So happy to meet you, Mr. Whitman."

He took her hand and stood up. Looking at his pants, he was upset to find a small area of wetness.

"It's OK. Mr. Whitman, everyone had that for the first time." Nathalia had a smile, "Just like Neo fell from the building the first time he jumped. It's no big deal."

 _Oh, she was making a Matrix reference? How did she even know that? It was quite an old movie._ Whitman wondered. _How much did she actually know about us?_

"Let's get back in the tent." She suggested, "It's warmer, and you can have a hot tub bath and change your clothes too."

"Why?" Whitman couldn't help asking, "Why you are doing all these?"

"Oh, you mean scare you with a bear? Or give you a hot tub bath?" She asked.

"Uh… Both, I guess."

"I don't have many guests. You know." The Queen answered, "Most of them had no fun either. But your reputation preceded you, everywhere you went, all the Azgedians were laughing. I haven't had this much fun for a long time. So, why not? Life is short, especially for us. A little harmless prank is no big deal, right?"

Whitman shook his head with a bitter smile. _Yeah, you guys have tons of fun at my cost._

…

"Now, Mr. Whitman." Nathalia sat up in her leather bed, "Do you find everything to your satisfaction?"

After the hot bath, wearing a set of comfortable leather outfit, Whitman drank a little of the tea and enjoyed a piece of cake, "Hm… Now I believe I am a guest of the Queen."

"Of course you are." Nathalia smiled, "Nausica here already told me so much about you. I was eager to see you in person."

"Oh, what did she tell you about me?" Whitman shot Nausica a quick look, and saw her sneering.

"She said you have a different soul living in your brain, and her name is Becca. Is that right?" Nathalia watched his reactions closely.

Whitman swung his eyes back to the Queen, "Uh...That's true."

"So coming all the way here. Is that her idea, or your idea?" She asked.

Whitman shrugged, "It was all her idea. If I knew I would be humiliated like this, I wouldn't have come."

Nathalia nodded, "So could you let her come out and talk to us?"

Whitman pointed at a corner, "She has been here for a while already."

"Oh… So she's been observing me?" Nathalia wondered, "So tell me, what does she want?"

"Peace."

"Huh!" The Queen let out a hiss, "Not interested!"

"Becca knows that you want to find 'wigod' in the tower of light, but she says you are looking at the wrong place."

"Oh, really?" Nathalia was not impressed, "Nausica here described that tower to me. Sounds quite legit."

 _Wow, why the Queen used words like "legit"?_ Whitman couldn't help wondering. _Why she spoke so much like us?_

"Becca says the tower has only bones and nothing else."

"Is that so?" Nathalia considered it, "Then I will know when I got there."

"The problem is, you will kill everyone in that city, when you got there." Whitman said, "I saw those poor Canadian. They were so scared that they all go south to run away from you."

The Red Queen stood and walked close to Whitman, "Then you and your people should do the same. Leave the city, and no one gets hurt. Didn't Nausica tell you already?"

"They cannot leave the city, because Polis to them is like Rome to the Romans. My people built that city and defended that city with blood. They will do the same again to you."

"Becca, didn't you see the army I have outside?" Nathalia asked, "Why do you think you still have a chance against us?"

"You have a big army, yes." Whitman repeated Becca's words, "But we have our weapons. We might not win, but we will make you bleed severely."

"Oh, really?" Nathalia sneered, "You think your guns will have much use in a fight with us? Think again! Those Canadian had guns as well, but they were slaughtered by us like pigs. Do you really want to follow their fate?"

"Do you know who ended the world?" Whitman was surprised to hear Becca mentioned it. "Do you know why thousands of nuclear bombs dropped from the sky?"

"Are you saying…" Nathalia opened her mouth wide.

"Yes, I have a powerful AI, called ALIE. She dropped the bombs on the world." Whitman said for Becca, "I can tell her to drop a bomb on you too. Each one can kill millions. So how many millions of people do you have?"

"In that case, I cannot allow you to live." Nathalia suddenly turned from friendly to deadly, "You are too dangerous!"

"Are you sure my AI is not aiming a missile at you right now?" Whitman asked, "Are you sure she didn't know I am here with you?"

Nathalia stared at her with eyes big like Alita.

Finally she chuckled, "Ha, you are bluffing! You are just making up a story of a world destroyer. I don't think you have any ability to do that."

"Well, do you want a little demonstration?" Whitman asked. Becca looked at him curiously.

"Oh, sure. Show me your mighty power please." Nathalia said it with sarcasm.

Whitman took out a radio, "Hey, defcon? This is Whitman. I need a missile at 44.286 and -73.657...Yes, right away please. Just the regular one."

"Affirmative, sir. Bombs away!" Someone in the radio replied. Whitman turned it off.

Nathalia asked with tension in her voice, "What did you just do?"

"I told the AI to shoot a missile to the next mountain." Whitman said, "Let's go out and enjoy the fireworks." Becca shook her head.

All of them stepped out of the tent. Five minutes later, a missile dragging a long red flare flew in at supersonic speed. It hit the mountain and exploded. A big red fireball rose up. The shock wave shook the tent flapping.

 **BOOOMMMMM...**

Powerful rumbles kept echoing between the mountains. Everyone felt its shocking power. All 10 thousand Azgedians stopped whatever they were doing and gazed at the fireball dumbfounded. Thousands of horses neighed and screamed. The polar bear buried her head in the ground.

"My friend, that is just a conventional bomb." Whitman showed his palms like Tony Stark doing a presentation, "Image that power multiplied by ten thousand. Dropping right in the center of you camp..."

"Alright, alright. I get the picture." Nathalia even smiled, "No need to be nasty about it, OK?"

Whitman smiled too. _You bit the whole bait._

Everyone went back in and took their seats. Their attitude suddenly was much more humble.

Nathalia asked, "So, Becca, you were talking about we were looking at the wrong place. So what kind of place do you have in mind?"

Whitman said, "I know all of you might have defects in your DNA. None of you can live over 45. Is it right?"

Nathalia shot a look at Nausica, who shook her head. She then said, "No, it's not true. Where did you hear it from?"

"Well, because I have that DNA summary report, right inside my brain." Whitman said, "That DNA defect gave all of you the ability to resist high levels of radiation, but at the same time lessen your lifespan. It was a big trade off from nature."

Nathalia's surprise was very obvious, "How…"

"When we walked in to your camp, I saw no one was wearing anti-radiation suits. With only this fact, I am confident that all of you do have this DNA defect. You cannot deny it."

Nathalia looked at Whitman hatefully like she wanted to put a knife in him, but then she relented, "OK, you are right, Becca. We do have this problem of short age, but it's also a gift. After thousands of years, we finally had an advantage over you humans. Finally our numbers can overwhelm you. You cannot blame us for trying to take over the world."

"I understand your position, Nathalia." Whitman said, "That's why I am giving you a counter proposal. The world is big enough for both of us. Like I said in the beginning, I want only one thing. Peace."

"Hm...Now the word sounds much more interesting." The Queen pondered, "You have the WMD, yet you want peace."

"Actually I hate all the nukes." Whitman repeated Becca's words, "So please don't leave me no choice."

"Yet, we have another problem." the Queen said, "It's the prophecy. I am destined to find 'wigod' in the tower of light. In our language, 'wigod' can be a few things, but mostly refers to 'salvation', which means I will be saved in that tower. It was predicted long before I was born. I am afraid I have to fulfill it somehow."

"Then come to my island." Whitman said Becca's proposal, "My island is not far from here. Just a couple of days trip with the jeep. There you will find the lighthouse, which is also a tower of light. And there we have the most advanced medical lab for your DNA problem. Maybe I can save you and all of you."

The Queen listened with full attention. She gave Nausica a look, and Nausica nodded.

"Alright, Peace it is, then." The Queen said, "I will send Nausica my First Second, also my naive nephew Maldon with you to the island. If you successfully fix our DNA, then the prophecy comes true. There is no need for war or killing."

"You are not coming?"

"No, this is my camp. 18 thousand people depend on me to feed them. I cannot leave, not even for one day."

"Then how do I actually save you in that tower? I cannot cure a patient without the patient presented."

"That's why my nephew Maldon will go with you." the Queen pointed at him, who still had no idea, "Feel free to do any experiment on him. If the cure works, I will come to you."

"But he is your blood, right?" Whitman was not pleased to hear it, "How do you say things like this?"

"Mr. Whitman, you need to understand our culture." the Queen explained, "We don't give any favor to our relatives. Instead we treat them worse. Maldon there is my favorite nephew, but he is nowhere as important as my Second Nausica. She will be the future queen, but Maldon will be nobody, if he doesn't do better."

"Whatever you say, Nathalia." Whitman grunted. _Maldon is a much better guy than that little brat. I respect him a lot more._

The Queen clapped her hands and smiled, "Alright then. Mr. Whitman, or should I say Becca? It's a short time but we understand each other much better, right? Time to prepare for you trip. I wish you all have a safe journey. Bon Voyage!"

===#===#===

Becca's Temple, Polis.

Over a hundred people crowded inside. They all wore the same radiation-suits, making them looked like a group of mountain men.

A young man walked to the center and spoke loud, "Hi, my Canadian friends, welcome to the Polis! You should all give yourself a pat on your back, because you made it. You are safe now!"

All the people in suits applauded and cheered.

He continued, "My name is Atom. I am one of the Frame Keepers. Right now I am giving you the initiation to join Polis. If you truly want to be saved, you have to make Becca your Savior, you have to give everything to the sacred city she built, only then you can become one of us, and only then we can share the same food, and share the same blood!"

People looked at each with hesitation.

"So here I give you the last chance to back out, before the gate is closed." Atom announced, "You still can walk out of here and to other places, but if you stay, you will forever belong to the city, and you will forever become a follower of our Commander. Choose now!"

 **GEGEGEGE…..** The gate closed slowly, no one left.

"Very Good!" Atom nodded at them. "Now the first step. Take off your radiation suit."

People looked at each other and murmured some words.

"This is a leap of faith." Atom said loudly, "I was one like you, very scared of the invisible killer. I hesitated myself. But now I am so glad I took that first step."

One by one, all 100 people started to take off their radiation suits, showing their real faces. They were all kinds of people. Young and old, men and women, grownup and children.

"Good! Now the next one might be a little more difficult for some." Atom knew they would comply anyway. "Take off all your clothes and belongings. Throw them all to the side."

Some people opened their eyes wide, especially young women. Some protested the idea.

"No, people, I know it's difficult. That's exactly why you have to do it." Atom talked to them like a father, "Trust me, I know the feeling. But here, you have to get rid off all your old baggage, all your old believes, and all your old possessions. You have to become nothing, you have to become no one, you have to be naked in front of our Savior, Becca, here." He pointed at the dark image of her. "She is naked in front of all of you, because she gave everything she had, including her life, to all of you. You should do the same."

Some people started to unzip their clothes. Others still hesitated.

"I guarantee you. Even you are naked and afraid, no harm will ever come to you, not under my watch." Atom assured them. "And you, in the future, will also protect any citizen of Polis who was naked in front of Becca."

Gradually everyone took off their clothes. Atom was still not satisfied, "All ear rings, bracelets, necklaces, everything that's not part of natural body should be discarded. They aren't worth anything in this world."

Only after all jewelries and accessories were removed, Atom nodded and demanded, "Now all of you bow down to the image of our Savior, Becca the First Commander, and you swear to protect the city she built, protect the people she saved, and protect the honor of being a citizen of Polis!"

They all knelt, put down their head to the ground, and swore the oath.

"Very Good. I am so proud of you!" Atom had a big grin. "Now all of you stand up as the citizen of Polis. Now all of you are our new brothers and sisters. There is only one more thing left to do, follow me please."

He opened a doorway to a secret tunnel, "The road is dark and slippery. Be careful and follow others closely. It will be only 10 minutes of walking." He got in the dark tunnel first with a candle in hand. Others followed.

…

Just like Atom promised, 10 minutes later they ended up in a large underground garage, Atom walked up a flight of stairs. People looked around curiously. It seemed that the garage had been empty for a long time. The ground had some dark dried liquid and felt sticky on their feet.

After going up for a few floors, they entered a kitchen surrounded by stainless steel coverings. There was a long row of tables in the middle. Piles and piles of clothing scattered on them.

"My brothers and sisters!" Atom waited for the last one to enter. "Now this is the end of the journey. You can take any clothes on the table and wear it. No worries. We already washed them and made sure no flea is on them. In this city we share everything, starting with the clothes."

People started to pick up clothes randomly and wear them.

"Good! Now please form a single line, people. This step will take us a long time. You can sit or sleep on the floor, or you can talk to the one next to you, and get to know your new family better."

He opened a room-size fridge door and asked, "Ready?"

"Send them in." Ethan replied from inside.


	13. Chapter 13 - Atrocity

Revision 1.0

Note: Chapter 13 is pretty dark, as the number itself is quite ominous.

Once again, keep an open mind please. I am definitely not encouraging cannibalism.

===#===#===

There were no words that could possibly describe what Mark Trudeau were feeling at that time.

There was once a very popular old TV series that everyone loved. In its last season that everyone hated, the whole city was burnt by a dragon ridden by a queen. A dwarf walked in and witnessed all the atrocity that his queen had done.

In a way, Mark was seeing the similar scene: a whole city burnt and sacked by another queen.

After they crossed the airport, they started to see couples of bodies here and there. The closer they got to the city center, the quantity of bodies increased, and the quality dropped dramatically. In each block they saw tens of bodies littering the street. Many were missing arms and legs. Some brains were smashed into odd shapes. The streets had an extremely pungent odor of rotting fresh. The strong smell assaulted everyone's nose. Breathing the vile air was painful and suffocating.

Mark's blood was boiling, maybe even that was an understatement. That was the city he grew up in. Those were the people he knew all his life. Peaceful, cheerful and nice people who wouldn't hurt a fly, but they had suffered unimaginable brutality. So many of them died of horrible deaths.

However, he still looked normal from the outside, quiet and grim.

"Are you OK?" Chloe couldn't help asking again. Mark just ignored her and kept walking with the group.

Amber inspected some of the corpses. They were fully intact, but all had darkened skin somewhere on their bodies, an indication of poisoning. She pulled an arrow out, and was surprised to see something.

"Guys, guys." She spoke to Henry and others in the front, "Those savages have better weapons now. You got to be careful."

Henry King stopped the group then asked her, "What do you mean, better weapon?"

Amber showed him the arrow she just picked up, "See? This is made of carbon-fiber. Definitely not built by hand. Those savages had adapted to use high-quality arrows now. Maybe they even have guns and ammo like us. We need to be very careful."

Henry looked around with a new fear, then he called out, "Chloe, come here, Chloe."

She came up to him, "What's the matter?"

"We cannot go any further." Henry were genuinely worried, "Amber just found out those hunters somehow got much better weapons. Their arrows were upgraded."

"So?" Chloe didn't get it at first, then she came to the same conclusion, "They probably have guns too?"

"Afraid so." Henry said, "We cleaned up a gun store. They could have done the same. Even with just those arrows, they will be much more dangerous than before."

"So we are not going to the city center?"

"This is a decision you have to make, Chloe." Henry suggested, "It's not safe with the 2 floor houses here, let alone in the downtown area. There any street is a perfect ambush spot."

Chloe nodded, "You are right. We need to gather some information first." She looked around and asked, "Talking about info gathering, why we don't see anyone alive here?"

Amber did an analysis, "The atrocity didn't ended overnight." She pointed to two corpses next to each other, "Some died much earlier than the other, so the body rots in different stages. People had to escape when their food ran out. I guess the city was under their control for at least a month."

"So you mean all of them either ran away or died running?" Chloe asked.

Amber nodded slowly and added, "Or starved to death in their own home."

 _My God ! What a humanity disaster!_ Chloe let out a long sigh, then said, "OK, if this is the case, we cannot stay here. We need to retreat and find somewhere safe with food."

Henry nodded and ordered the group to go back, but only Mark kept walking straight.

Chloe caught up to him and asked, "Hey, Mark, what's wrong? We are not going that way any more."

He didn't even look at her. His face looked like a statue, no expression and no emotion. He just kept trudging forward.

Chloe waved at Amber. She ran up and held her brother's hand, "Brother. We are not going to the city. Are you OK? Do you hear me?"

Mark yanked his hand violently from Amber's grasp, then he walked again, leaving both girls very worried.

"What's going on with him, Chloe?" Amber asked, "He looked strange since the morning."

"I noticed that too." Chloe shook her head with anxiety, "He wouldn't talk to me all day."

"Do you think that's because of yesterday?" Amber wondered. _He killed a hunter's family in his own home._

Chloe nodded, "I think so, but I didn't know he would turn out like this."

"Hey, you are the doctor. You never learned any psychology, PTSD or something like that?"

"Yeah, you are right. I think that's PTSD plus suicidal tendencies." Chloe was reminded of her classes, "He is now totally oblivious to his own personal safety."

"Thanks doc!" Amber said it with sarcasm, "But now what we gonna do?"

"You go back to the group, and I will stay with him." Chloe said, "Keep your radio on. I will call you later."

"Sis, are you sure this is a good idea?" Amber was concerned, "He is heading to the city. We need to stop him first."

"No, right now stopping him is a bad idea." Chloe analyzed, "He's determined to go there. No one can stop him, unless we tied him up, but that will only damage him more."

"So you just let him walk into death traps?" Amber protested, "Sis, that's even worse."

Chloe looked around, then said, "No, we don't know about that. We haven't seen any hunters either. They might be all gone."

"So you just want to bet your life, and his life on that?" Amber found it ridiculous, "Are you really out of your minds?"

"Maybe I am." Chloe had a bitter smile, "This…" She pointed to all the decaying bodies around, "This affects me too, just in different ways." Then she asked Amber again, "Go back, Amber. If we both can't come back, don't wait for us."

"Sis…" She was a little hesitant, "I want to tell you something."

"Now?" Chloe looked at Mark with worry. He was already two blocks away.

"Yes, now." Amber looked into her eyes seriously, "Remember I said I will tell Mark I love him?"

Chloe turned and faced her, "Yeah…"

"Now I don't want to tell him any more." Amber said bitterly, "I do love him, but my love is not the same. Yours is just too much, you know?" Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Sis!" Chloe looked at her with guilt. "I am so sorry!"

"Don't be." Amber wiped her tears, "Don't worry about me. At least I still have Jacob. He is not Mark, but he understands me."

Chloe cupped her face, "Thank you, Amber! You are always my sister."

Amber had a little smile, "Go! Go get your man. Don't lose him." She then walked back toward the group.

Chloe looked at her back with sadness. It should have been a good thing. There was less competition for Mark, but she felt like losing a big trunk of something.

…

They both walked silently for the rest of the trip. Mark gazed ahead unflinching. Chloe held her rifle following him. She kept glancing sideways and backwards.

More and more bodies littered the streets. Many were missing limps. Groups of rats were eating those bodies. The smell was insufferable.

Mark stopped in front of a huge projection screen on the street. It seemed not long ago there was another open rock concert. Thousands had gathered here and danced gleefully to the beat, but instead there were thousands of bodies lying around in different states of rotting.

"YOU BASTARDS!" Suddenly Mark yelled at the top of his lungs, making Chloe's heart jumped to her throat.

"COME AND GET ME, YOU BASTARDS, I AM RIGHT HERE!" His furious shouting echoed among buildings, yet no one showed up.

"ARE YOU A FUCKING COWARD?!" Mark took of his jacket and shirt, and threw them on the ground. He cried out again, "I AM RIGHT HERE! YOU FUCKING BASTARDS!"

Chloe watched his half-naked body with deep concerns, but she didn't say anything.

Mark grabbed the rifle from Chloe and took it away by force. He shot all the bullets to the buildings around.

 **PANG...PANG...PANG...PANG…** The loud bangs could be heard in the whole city, yet it was deadly silence following it.

Not a soul around. Only rats kept gnawing at the dead, even the gun shots didn't scare them away.

"Hey, big guy." Chloe carefully approached him, "The sun is getting really low. We need to find a place…"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" He shouted again, "I WANT TO KILL SOMEONE!"

"I know. Mark, that's why I am here." Chloe got closer to him and looked him at his eyes with gentleness. "You need someone now. Come on, cry. You will feel better."

He pushed her to the ground with such a fierce force that temporarily stunned Chloe.

The next moment was even more shocking, he held his rifle to his head and pulled the trigger.

 **Ta...Ta...Ta…** The trigger hit only an empty chamber. Bullets were already out, but Mark seemed to forget that momentarily.

Chloe crawled to his feet and begged, "Please, please, Mark, don't do this. You still have me." She started crying.

Mark absentmindedly looked at the rifle, then looked at Chloe, like he just woke up and realized what happened. He threw away the gun, bent down and held her head. "I am sorry, Chloe, I am a mess." He put his forehead against hers. "I am such a mess!"

"So am I, Mark." Chloe was sobbing, "I killed a good guy ...in the Ark..." She held his head firm, "I had nightmares of him... His face... blown away... He was even smiling…"

"Stop...Chloe, stop…" Mark's tears started coming out. "I see that little kid too." He kissed her cheek, "Somehow I wished he did kill me."

Chloe kissed him in his trembling lips, "No, no, I am the one who killed him, not you, not you."

Mark's face twisted with pain, "I feel just the same."

" **Will you marry me, Mark**?" Chloe suddenly asked, "Will you be my one and only, til death do we part?"

The question was like a bomb detonated in his head. He was totally thunderstruck.

Only after a long while that he was able to reply, "I can't, Chloe. I can't."

"You don't love me?" She was puzzled.

"I do, but not like this. Chloe." Mark gazed at her with his blue eyes, "I am in no shape to be anyone's husband. I cannot take care of anyone."

"Then let me take care of you." Chloe put her hand on his chiseled jaw, "Let's get away from all this. Let's go to a place with no war and no fighting..."

Mark froze. His eyesight riveted to a little body nearby. It was hard to tell that was a little boy or a girl.

"Don't look at that, please." Chloe tried to shield him from it. "Just say Yes, let's leave this hell and never come back."

It took a great effort for Mark to say it, "This hell was my city... War and fighting are all I am thinking... Chloe, I am sorry, but I will not marry you."

Chloe felt like she was hit by a sledgehammer, mentally.

With an effort, he struggled to get up, then pulled her up too, "Chloe, let's get back to the group. Use your radio." He picked up his jacket and shirt.

"Uh…" She almost didn't hear him, "What did you just say?"

He took the radio from her and spoke, "Hey, Amber, do you hear me?"

The radio answered, "Yup, brother, I heard you loud and clear. Where are you guys now?"

"We are in the downtown area. Those bastards already left the city. We are safe here." He spoke calmly and normally.

"Wow, that's good news, right?" Amber was cheerful, "No one is going to kill us here."

"But we will find a way to kill them." Mark said it so casually that it made Chloe's skin crawled.

"Seriously? Bro? How?" Amber couldn't understand.

"We will talk more about this later, OK?" Mark said, "We are heading back your way."

Chloe stared at him, feeling dreadful.

===#===#===

"We have 233 hands and 146 legs." Helen reported to her dad, "It should last a long time for us."

Lying on a wheelchair, Daniel was pleased to know the numbers, "Good job! Is the fridge cold enough?"

"That's a yes, too." Helen replied, "The power from the solar panels works. Though it was not as strong as before, the meat inside should be frozen solid."

Daniel nodded, "Good girl! Now we don't need to worry about food, at least for a couple of months."

Ken came in with another body. Helen tried to stop him, "Wait, wait, what are you doing?"

Ken pretended to be surprised, "What? I just found this on the street."

"No, you killed him." Helen pointed at the body's wound, "He is still bleeding."

"So what? He will die in a few days anyway." Ken threw the body on the stainless steel table, "At the same time, I want to eat something fresh." He started to cut off the limbs.

Helen took a look at her father. Daniel gave her a little nod, then said, "Hey, Ken, can you stop bringing those bodies here? The fridge is fully stocked. We don't need anything more."

Ken chopped off the head cleanly, then replied, "Are you sure about that? We have a lot of mouths to feed."

Daniel chuckled, "Don't be ridiculous. There are only 4 of us."

"Then what about them?" Ken pointed at the locker room at the end of the kitchen.

Daniel gave Helen an inquisitive look, and Helen quickly walked there and opened the door.

There she saw a dozen Second Dawn members were changing their clothes to butcher's outfits. Some saw her and started whistling.

Helen slammed the door, hurried back and questioned Ken, "What the hell is going on? Why you bring all those guys here?"

Ken sneered, "We are all brothers and sisters, right? In a disaster like this, we should all band together as a family. Damn, girl, did you forget everything you have learned?"

"But not like this." Helen was anxious, "How do we feed so many people?"

Ken had a little sneer, "You already showed us the way." He cut off a big chunk of meat from the torso. "Come on, Helen, look at this organic fresh meat! It's tender and delicious!"

Helen ran out of the kitchen, leaving Ken laughing loud behind.

===#===#===

Whitman woke up in his jeep again. He took a quick look behind him. Maldon and Nausica were sleeping. He relaxed and slumped in his seat.

Becca showed up next to him and asked, "Helen again?"

Whitman nodded.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Whitman shook his head.

"That bad. Alright." Becca still didn't disappear. She just sat there digitally with him. No one was talking.

After a long while, Whitman couldn't keep the silence any longer, "Do you know what, Becca?"

"What?"

"Sometimes we do judge people too much. Like he did a murder, or he sexually assaulted a woman, or something bad like that. But few of us ever wonder why."

"Is that important?"

"Of course it is. I used to think Helen was just plainly crazy." Whitman said, "I just thought she was a complete nutcase, and I kept the distance. I never ever tried to talk to her, or get to know her. I just stayed away from her as much as I could."

"But now you think differently?"

"Yes, now I do. It's too bad that only now I saw what she went through. The awful things she had to do to survive. I shouldn't have treated her like that."

"Helen, do you hear that?" Becca asked, "Joe just said sorry."

"Yes, yes, I am so so sorry, Helen." Whitman felt his guts were twisted. " I am so sorry that I only saw the outside of you."

"So what, old man?" Helen's face suddenly appeared right in front of him, inches to his nose. "You already killed me. My life was forever ended."

" **Waaaaa…**." Whitman shouted out. His loud shriek instantly woke up both passengers in the back.

"Where is the enemy?" Nausica asked, blade in her hand. She looked around with high alert.

"Em ste bilike. Natwana." Maldon explained, then in English, "Nightmare again? Joe?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's a nightmare." Whitman nodded, "Happens a lot to me."

Nausica lowered her weapon, "You got to have your brain checked, crazy old man." She blurted, "Unlike you, we still need 8 hours of normal sleep."

"Alright, alright, I get it." Whitman started his jeep. "I'll start driving. You just have your beauty sleep, OK, princess?"

"I am not a Fucking princess." Nausica was not pleased, "I am the first Second, the future Queen."

"Yes, your highness. You told me a hundred times." Whitman said, "So what makes you a Second, but not our Maldon there? He is blood-related to the Queen for God sake."

"Blood is not important." Nausica stated, "The Queen chose me because I was smart and determined. In order to become a Second, I went to live with you stinky humans for 2 years!"

"Hm… interesting." Whitman asked, "So every Second had to live in our society for at least 2 years?"

"That's the rule." Nausica said, "Only our Queen was a little different."

"Why?"

"Usually any Second will leave the human world as soon as possible, but our Queen was there for 14 years. We all thought she's gone forever."

 _No wonder the Queen talked like that._ Whitman mentally marked a little question checked. _She was in our world for a little too long. What happened to her?_

"Do you know why she stayed so long?" He tentatively asked.

"I know what you are doing, old man." Nausica said with a little scorn, "You are trying to pry some useful information from me."

"Oh, I just want to have some chit chat." Whitman tried to cover it, "It's a long drive. So boring here."

"Yeah, right." Nausica sneered, then she lied down on her seat.

 _Damn little brat!_ Whitman thought. _Can't deny that she's also smart though._

Actually the drive would not be long, he already saw the ocean glittering in the horizon.

 _We will be in Becca's island, then what? Do we really use Maldon as a lab monkey?_

He sighed. _The world is really unfair. Such a nice guy, yet still not knowing what we're going to do to him._

He took a quick look at Maldon in the mirror. His face looked quite innocent in his sleep.

 _You might be happy to know that you are doing this for all your people. Hope we find a cure without killing you. Sometimes ignorance is really a blessing. Look how happy he sleeps!_

Becca was still in the passenger seat watching him, "Want to talk about that?"

Whitman shook his head again.

===#===#===

The Ark was getting close to become a Zombie nation.

That was not because there was a deadly virus that could reanimate corpses, but because everyone looked like they were already dead.

Everyday they continued to do their jobs, but no more laughter, no more smiles. Even the most optimistic people were in depression. If they looked into other's eyes, they would only see emptiness.

Once again, rumors broke out, which said all the synthetic meat were actually made of human fresh, but no one had any mental strength left to protest. Whoever did the protest was already turned into meat, and they were eating it.

The population of Ark had already dropped below the threshold of 4000, but everyday the number just kept shrinking. That week, they found another 200 people starved to death in their own home. They had all the food they needed to live, but not the will.

Theodore Kane's son, John Kane, was in the hospital. He tried to starve himself to death like others, but his father force-fed him with tubes and heavy sedatives. However, due to the restrictions on drugs usage, the hospital would stop the drug the next day. By then, John would be tied to the bed with a straitjacket, so he couldn't pull out the tubes. His father would really hate to see that. After all, John was still a kid.

"What can we do?" Kane kept asking Michael Jaha, "Do you have any new ideas?"

Jaha shook his head. He was quite upset himself. Just last week, his nephew Iman Jaha died in that dropship with all 100 grounders. He was still in mourning for him.

"Come on, Counselor! Think of something." Kane pushed him, "You are the best strategist in this God damn ring! Make something happen!"

"I already tried! I sent 100 people to the ground, including my nephew, remember?" he grunted, "Yet they all died. There was no more hope. We can live through this food shortage, but our spirits are all destroyed. We are like withering plants, a generation of blight."

"Then cheer them up." Kane said, "Make up a new hope, anything."

"Fake news?" Jaha sneered, "You think that will really work?"

"Come on. My son is in the hospital." Kane almost begged him, "He had tried suicide three times already. My God, he was only 8 years old."

"I am so sorry to hear that, Mr. Kane." Jaha patted his shoulder. "I wished we could be smarter, but we had run out all the ideas."

Someone was calling him, Jaha had to leave Kane in his despair state.

Kane held his hair, almost wanted to pull all of them off. _Think, think, it's your son's life!_

Suddenly he remembered something, so he asked a technician, "Hi, are you still monitoring that guy's bracelet?"

"Who's bracelet?" The tech was confused in the beginning, then he remembered too, "Oh, yeah, Mark Trudeau. No, I turned off the monitor a few days ago. Like you said, we have no time for that."

It was a last ditch hope, but Kane would take anything. "Turn the monitor back on. Show me his vitals."

His picture once again was on the monitor, but this time it was not stable. The vital data kept flickering.

"What is wrong?" Kane asked.

"I don't know, sir." The tech replied. "Probably bad reception? Full of radiation down there."

"So the bracelet could be affected by the radiation and malfunction?"

"Yeah, probably, sir."

"What's his status now?"

"Still very healthy, sir."

Kane kept staring at the blinking signal and started thinking, _This guy, Mark Trudeau, was the sole survivor of the whole team. Why? Why everyone died except him? What made him so special, and what does that tell us about the ground?_

"Pull out his file, please." Kane asked the tech, "I need to know everything about this Mark guy. I want to see anything unusual about him."

The tech acknowledged, "Yes, sir." Then Mark's digital profile appeared on the screen."

"Make me a cup of coffee." Kane asked, "I am going to stay here all night to read his profile."

"Sorry, sir, there is no more coffee." the tech said, "No tea either."

"What the hell do we have?" Kane wondered, "We are in the command center for God sake."

"Uh… Hot water… Algae soup." the tech looked at the food producer, "And lots of synthetic meat."

 _Not that meat again._ Kane sighed silently, "Just give me the algae soup, please."

"Are you sure?" the tech asked, "The algae is hard to swallow without any meat."

"Just hand me the soup, damn it." Kane almost lost his temper, but then he saw the facial expression of his tech.

 _God! Now he knows it too._


	14. Chapter 14 - Meetings

Revision 1.0

===#===#===

In Polis, Becca's temple was the most sacred place of all. Every morning people would come to kneel in front of her image and the holy symbol ∞. They would chant the songs praising her, they would thank her for giving them a safe harbor, a place they could finally call home, and they would give her any food they could spare, any clothing they weren't wearing. To them, the old gods were all dead. The new Goddess was the one and only true savior.

Usually Becca's temple was also the meeting place for all the village leaders. However, that day it was a little different. The meeting place was changed to the top of the Mega Tower, where no one actually wanted to go. Not only there were so many horror stories associated with that tower. Climbing up the 50 floors of stairs was not easy either. By the time village leaders reached the top, they were all exhausted.

As the leader of the DC tribe, Nicole Hawk was among them. The still healing wound in her chest tortured her every step of the way, but she just ground her teeth and kept going up. In her mind, she promised herself, _In the future I will definitely put some kind of elevator here._

On the top of the building, they finally met Ethan the genius boy, and a group of other Flame Keepers. Many leaders frowned at the sight of them.

Under the control of Ethan, Flame Keepers of Polis rose up in power rapidly. They had absolute judicial rights, which meant they could carry out the justice in their own way without any due process. They could order anyone to do anything under the name of the sacred Savior, Becca, and they could punish anyone in the public the way they deemed fit for the crime.

As a result, there were a few guys were caught stealing, and their hands were nailed to wood planks; Some women tied to pole completely naked for their "adultery"; Even children were whipped for "unruly behavior" like defacing walls.

Those 20 village leaders had not been pleased with the way Flame Keepers policing the city, but they also agreed to Ethan's reasoning: Before they finished making rules and regulations, some form of law and order was required.

After leaders settled down to their chairs, Ethan started by saying, "Thank you everyone for coming all the way up here. Today I have to hold the meeting here, because it is a very important one, and we couldn't allow anything leaking out. Becca's temple was too crowded and not safe from eavesdropping..."

Nicole interrupted him, "Who chose you to be the leader? We are following the Commander, not you."

She looked around, and found no one supporting her. So she stood up and asked, "Do you guys really want to obey this 13 year old? Isn't it obvious that he is still a child?"

She didn't expect some push-backs from other leaders, "Nicole, please sit down." "Come on, we need to listen to him." "What is wrong with 13 year old? You have age discrimination?"

Ethan kept his silence and watched everyone scolding Nicole. After a while, she sat down and bit her tongue.

"Thank you everyone for defending me!" Ethan continued the meeting, "All I ever wanted is to protect this city from any threats. Either it was the cannibal cult Second Dawn, or the invisible deadly radiation. In the past, we had successfully faced them and conquered them, but today, we have a much more formidable enemy, Azgedians."

Just that word "Azgedians" invoked a lot of muttering.

"Our Commander had been gone for more than a week. We all know where he was heading. I believe now he is in Mount Weather with his wife and son, and he won't come back for quite a long time. Without him, we will not have Mount Weather's help, or Becca's wisdom, both are severe setbacks for us."

Leaders looked at each other with doubt. It was hard for them to accept that their Commander was gone just like that.

Ethan stood up, "But please be assured that I and my fellow Flame Keepers will try everything we can to fight against those savages. So now let's hear our brother, Atom, what he has to say about the current situation." He pointed his staff at the group of Flame Keepers.

A young handsome man stepped out from the group. He also had the tattoo of burning fire in his face. He nodded slightly to Ethan, then his briefing began.

"By now we should acknowledge that we are all the citizens of Polis. We are all saved by our Sacred Savior, Becca, and we are all…"

"Get to the point." Nicole interrupted him. "You want to sing the whole song?"

"Alright then. As we know, many Canadians joined us recently. The news from their account is very bad. Those Azgedians are way more brutal than anyone had expected. All they were doing in Canada was killing, killing and more killing. The whole city of Montreal was wiped out. Millions perished there. It was an utterly disaster. When recounting everything they witnessed, our fellows were still shaken from the nightmarish events..."

Everyone, including Nicole, became very quiet. Atom kept describing the horrible scenes of Montreal in ghastly details for another 10 minutes.

"... Therefore, we would not allow this same fate descent upon us. We need to find ways to fight back. We need to know their strength and weakness. So we had sent people out to gather intelligence. Now I am glad to tell you that we have obtained some useful information. Let our Sister, Charlotte, tell you the latest development."

"Before she speaks," Ethan cut in, "We already know that Azgedians had also sent spies to us as well. That little girl, Nausica, had been living among us for a long time. If she hadn't reveal herself to me, I wouldn't have known that she is an Azgedian. OK, Charlotte, now it's your turn."

A bright skinned young girl with golden hair came up, she also nodded to Ethan, "Hi, everyone! I just came from their camp. They already moved from Canada into the mountain areas of upstate New York, about 300 miles from us. For some reason, right now they stayed in that area and spreading out. A few mountains are occupied, including Giant, Mt. Marcy and Algonquin Peak. Their numbers is very large. I estimated that they have at least 15 thousand people, up to 25 thousand. Over two thirds of them are warriors. Even the children know how to kill..."

The report shocked every leader. Even Nicole felt some fear, "My God! We have only like three thousand people that can fight. Most of them have no training."

"New people are joining us everyday." Ethan said, "Our number is growing. And Flame Keepers are training them."

A leader said, "But there is no way we can reach an equal number with them."

Ethan said, "Not yet, but Charlotte here also reported that they appeared to be stalling for some reason. So let them stay in the mountain, and let us find ways to counter them, before their big invasion."

"How?" Nicole couldn't help asking, "You want every citizen of Polis to fight them and get killed?"

Ethan shook his head, "No, I have a better idea." He gave a gesture to Atom, and Atom went away.

After a few minutes, he returned with a prisoner fully tied up. Like all Azgedians, he wore a heavy mixed leather coat, beaver fur surrounded his waist. An eagle tattoo was on his right cheek.

Atom spoke loud, "We caught this scout near the city. His friend committed suicide, but he was a little too slow."

The Azgedian prisoner was a young boy, a year or two older than Ethan. Though tied up, he glared at each person with anger.

Atom continued, "We had tested him. He doesn't speak English, nor can he understand it, which gave us a big problem of getting intelligence from him."

Ethan nodded, "Seems only very few of them speak English. That girl Nausica should have been a valuable hostage for us. Too bad we missed the chance. But still, this prisoner is very useful for us."

Someone asked, "We cut his dick off and send him back as a message?" People laughed.

"No, it will only make them angrier." Ethan declined it, "I am thinking of a more advanced technique."

He pointed to a few solar panels outside, "Thanks to those panels, we have enough to provide power to the gene modder…"

Nicole couldn't help stopping him, "What? You have the gene modder?"

Ethan nodded.

"Then why didn't you tell Whitman?" Nicole was displeased, "For two months, he searched the whole city up and down for it. Yet you hid this away from him?"

Ethan explained, "That's Becca's gene modder, part of her legacy for Polis. It was her theories and patents that built the modder. Mount Weather just paid the money, but they have no use of it. We, on the other hand, used it everyday for new people who joined us. Even after our Savior passed away, the gene modder had been and still is saving people, liberating them from the fear of radiation, and making Polis grow bigger and stronger. So Nicole, what do you think we should do? Giving it back to the Mount Weather, or keeping it here to save hundreds of refugees everyday?"

"Uh…" Nicole couldn't answer the question, but she still said, "You need to tell this to our Commander. You cannot hide something big like this from him."

"Our Commander?" Ethan sneered, "He is back to his mountain and enjoying his family life. He abandons us when we need him the most. So why should we tell him any of this?"

"Because uh… uh…" Nicole couldn't say any more.

"This gene modder had saved us from the previous threat. And now, after I read more Becca's books, I am thinking of a new way to save all of us with this machine." Ethan announced, "And this is why I called upon you here. I want you all to know, even facing incredible odds, we still have a hope to defeat the enemy."

One of the leaders asked, "How? Isn't it designed to save lives?"

Ethan agreed, "Yes, that's true, but I am going to turn it into a weapon, a biology weapon that could end all Azgedian's lives."

His words echoed through everyone's ears. The whole room were suddenly filled with chattering.

Ethan raised his staff, and all gradually became silent. He continued, "I am not Becca. There are still a lot I need to learn, but I am asking all of you. Try your best to stall them and delay them. Because once I have the bioweapon, the number no longer matters. We will win eventually."

All leaders stood up and cheered with the Flame Keepers. Only Nicole was silent.

 _He is making a bio-weapon out of a life-saving machine!_ Nicole had a long sigh. _Ethan is out of control. Whitman, you'd better come back here soon, before it's too late._

Then she thought of Bryan. _If Stinky were here, he would have stopped this child from doing this kind of dangerous experiment. He would have been a much better Commander. Oh, Stinky! I miss you._

A nauseous feeling suddenly came up to her. She quickly walked out of the room through the big gate, and found a toilet. Only after vomiting she realized that the toilet shouldn't be working, not in the post-apocalyptic world.

"Why am I feeling dizzy like this?" A dreadful thinking came up to her. "No, no, no. Not again!" She held her stomach and screamed.

===#===#===

In Canada, another meeting was taking place at the same time.

In that meeting, no one wants to fight. Even Henry King was strongly against the idea of going after the Azgedians.

"We are safe here, why do we even bother to look for them?" He asked, "It doesn't make any sense to me."

"They slaughtered millions of Canadian people, that's why." Mark was the only one who insisted, "You are safe now, but one day they will return and look for you, then it will be too late."

"What makes you think we can stop them now?" Henry was puzzled. "They had at least 10 thousand, but we only have 50 here. It's like a flea against a bull. We had no chance of winning."

"Then at least we need to see what they are up to. And we can warn the cities they are about to attack. We can save a lot of lives."

"But we can lose ours, if we are not careful, or simply unlucky." Henry said, "To me, my life is most important. I didn't ride a rocket down here to give my life for strangers."

Amber elbowed Chloe, "Come on, Chloe, say something."

"What?" Chloe was like just woke up from a dream, "What did you guys say?"

"Puzzz… Never mind." Amber was deflated. "Jacob, you say something."

"Me?" Jacob was surprised, "Since when you need my input?"

"I just gave you a chance. You really don't want it?"

"Oh, fine!" Jacob yawned a little, "I'll say my piece. Don't be mad, OK? Nothing personal."

"No problem." Mark said, "We welcome all opinions."

"Huh, really?" Jacob chuckled a little, "So, here it is. First, what's wrong with you, Mark? Are you fucking out of your mind?"

"What? Me?" Mark was surprised, "I gave you guys all the reasons."

"Bullshit! Tell us what you really after, or what you really want to do, uh?" Jacob stared at him, "No more of those 'we need to warn the cities ' crap. There is something you are hiding from us. Spill it."

"I … have nothing to hide." Mark said it with a little tremble. "Why are you picking at me? I just want to do the right thing."

"Fine, don't tell us then." Jacob exhaled, "Now you, Henry the King. Though I agree with you, but you are fucking so selfish that I don't know if I can trust you in the next battle."

"Oh, so I told you guys my true feeling, and now I am not trustworthy?" Henry was irritated, "Give me a break! Now I want to ask you, how do we trust a gangster like you?"

"You don't need to." Jacob said, "You just get out of my way."

"Fine! I will be out of your little crime circle." Henry stood up, "We all know what you guys did back in the Ark. You created a rebellion that put the whole Ark into chaos. Tell you what, I don't want to follow you guys any more. The idea of going to Montreal sucks, and this idea of going after the Azgedians is even worse!" He walked away with most members of the group.

"Jacob, once again you said too much!" Amber grunted. Jacob just shrugged.

She looked around. There were only 5 people left. Besides she, Jacob, Mark and Chloe, there was one person she didn't know much.

"Hey, who the hell are you?" She asked that young black kid. "Do I know you from somewhere?"

That kid smiled at her, "No, but you might know my uncle. His name is Michael Jaha."

Amber put her hand to the mouth, "Wow, you are a Jaha!"

"Afraid so." the kid said with pride. "But please, just call me Iman."

"Alright, Iman, why are you still here?" Amber asked, "Seems everyone else is gone."

Iman didn't answer, instead he looked at Mark.

Everyone stared at Mark with a big question mark.

Mark finally said, "Fine, tell them."

"Thank you," Iman let out a breath, "Yesterday Mark asked me about my electronic engineer skill. I said, 'Hm… My uncle is the best in the world, but I still need a lot of time…' "

"What are you talking about?" Amber cut in. "What's the use of electronic engineering?"

"You have to wait for me to finish, young lady." Iman spoke like his uncle, "Or you wouldn't understand it at all."

"Fine, go ahead. Knock yourself out."

"Thank you, Miss Trudeau! As I said, my skill is still far from perfect, but handling a little electronic device is easy for me. So I took the bracelet and did some disassembling of it…"

"Bracelet?!" It was Chloe who interrupted him.

"Yes, Mr. Wu. That bracelet. The last one we have. After some little tinkering, I found a way to send signals up to the Ark..."

Chloe opened her eyes wide. She was fully sober.

"The theory is very easy. We just short this little wire to the ground, and it will drain the transmitter's power a little, thus creating an effect of interference in the other end. So if we do it with a pattern, they will notice the pattern, and they will realize that we are sending them messages through the patterns of interference. Are you with me so far?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"Ouch...I cannot say it easier than this. OK, let me make it dummy proof. I will use this wire to send signal to the Ark. If we are lucky, they will see the signal and get our message."

"What kind of message you want to tell them?" Chloe asked, "The earth is survivable again? Go ahead, no problem with me."

"No, we will make a demand first." Mark stated his true goal, "We will ask them to drop a nuclear bomb on those damned Azgedians, only then we will tell them the Earth is survivable."

===#===#===

There was a third meeting happening in upstate, New York.

( Yeah, this chapter is all about meetings. Get use to it. )

Nathalia, the Red Queen, had summoned all the Seconds to her giant tent.

" My dear Seconds, you all have lived in human's society, and I believe all of you know how conniving and deceiving humans are. Today, for the first time in Azgeda's history, we are facing a real existential threat. The name is Becca, their first Commander. She was the one who destroyed the world and killed off most other human beings, and now she is aiming her nuclear weapons at us."

Every Second was astounded to hear it.

"Yes, you hear me right. Becca said she wanted peace with us, but I didn't trust her at all. She said she wanted to find us a cure, but I suspect that she had other plans in her mind. She's a very intelligent and resourceful being, you all witnessed the power of weapons she could unleash at any moment. I was afraid that she could wipe us out with a snap of her fingers, so I pretended to agree with her for a truce, and I sent my first Second, Nausica, to her island with her. But that's all but a diversion. We are going to strike her city before she even know it."

The Queen then pointed at the first one in the front, "Asbel, you'll lead a raider of 1000 toward Washington, DC. You need to be very quiet and stealth, don't let anyone see you, and never exposed to the sky, where Becca's satellites can see you."

Asbel bowed, "What are we going to do, once we reach the DC area?"

"Do what you always do."

"Yes, my Queen." Asbel left.

"Now the rest of you listen to me." the Red Queen announced her plan, "I know we are surrounded by scouts sent by them. So we are leaving this area one kru at a time, but never let any of those humans know. Five thousand Azgedians will stay here and pretend to still have a number of 18 thousands. We are leaving all the tents and horses behind as decoys. You all understand me?"

"Yes, my Queen." All acknowledged.

"Good! In 10 days when those bastards of Polis wake up, they will find all 12 thousands of us swarming them and slaughtering them like we did to Montreal. And their Commander still has no idea. Now carry out my plan, my brave Seconds. You decide among yourselves who will go to Polis, and who will stay. I trust you all to make the right decisions."

With that said, the Queen sat down and watched a heated debate taking place among her Seconds, and her mind started to wander. _Becca, you think you have the better hand than mine, because you have nuclear weapons? Think again! It was not luck that made us Azgedians survive for thousands of years. Just like you, we also know how to play a game of war._

===#===#===

Up in the space, the Ark was also having a meeting.

( OK, OK, this is the last one. I swear. )

In the presentation hall of the "Exodus", All station chiefs were present. Michael Jaha stood in front of them.

"Thank you for coming here in such a difficult time!" He opened the meeting with an apology, "We are truly sorry that in the last month we lost so many people. Most of them were nice and decent ones. The population reduction goal is reached, but at a great cost of all of us."

"Now you apologize to us?" "You made such a big mess!" The station chiefs were angry.

General Zhu from Shenzhen Station had the strongest opinion, "Stop your hypocrisy! United Ark Federation failed to prevent the biggest chaos in my station, then you guys just caught people and executed them. Now all my people are depressed and upset. No one is willing to work. Many utilities are breaking down. You and all the counsel members should resign immediately."

"That's right!" "You guys should float yourselves." Other chiefs also expressed their resentment.

They had every right to be so. Last month was the darkest one throughout the Ark's short history. More than 1000 were executed, and one more thousand people died via various suicide methods. The total population were dropped to 3500 and still going down. Most people lost the hope for the future. Each time they eat something, they would suspect that meal contained their friend's or even family's fresh. Over half of the remaining people stopped consuming anything contained protein. Their bodies were slowly withering. And the other half had to helplessly watch their friends and family suffering from hunger, and at the same time feel unbearable guilty of having consumed human fresh.

"This is why we have this meeting." Jaha gravely said, "Today I officially dismiss the counsel of Ark. All members of United Ark Federation will return to their stations. We have failed you all completely. There is no excuse for everything that we had done in the past couple of months. I suggest you to keep the court system for now, so you could have a trial against all of counsel members, including me."

"Talking about counsel members, where is Kane?" General Zhu asked, "As the chief of security, he should have taken most of the blame for this huge disaster."

"Kane is in the central control room." Jaha replied, "He has been there for days. I don't know what he is obsessed with, but given the current dire situation, I might do the same."

"Kane doesn't matter. He is just a puppet of you." General Zhu stood up, "Now I have a vote of 'No Confidence' in your leadership ability. What do you say, chiefs?"

All other station chiefs voted the same.

"Then it's decided. Now you are under arrest, Mr. Jaha." General Zhu said, "You and Mr. Kane will wait for a trial that determine your fates. If it were me who would judge you, I would float both of you in a second."

…

In the central control room, Kane was busy writing down numbers on a paper pad.

"44.164N and -73.925W. OK, I got it." He already verified the number three times with the messages.

The technician developed a little app for him to translate the flickering of the bracelet signal into binary information, then another app to send messages back to the bracelet by blinking an LED on the bracelet. It was a very cruel but effective way to send text messages via unreliable signals.

Looking at the piece of paper, Kane felt very conflicted. Someone on the other side of the bracelet claimed himself to be Mark Trudeau, and he passed all the quiz Kane asked about Mark's life. However, that guy refused to tell him anything about the ground, unless he dropped a nuclear bomb at the specified location.

He pulled up a digital map and looked up the coordination. That spot was just a mountain area of upstate New York. He doubted anyone were living there. Yet it was still a hard decision for him.

"Wot r u w8ting 4?" the other side asked in the next text.

 _Yeah, what am I waiting for? Thousands of nuclear bombs had dropped on Earth and the damage was already done, what's the matter if I just add another one to it? Plus it will explode in the mountains. If I am lucky no one would even get hurt._

He knew he was just making excuses, but still, he desperately wanted to do something for his son, who was still suffering a severe depression in the hospital. The doctor already took him off the sedative drugs. If nothing changed, he would be trying to end his life again. So more than ever, Kane needed to have a new hope. He needed to have any slim silver linings for his son to live.

Yet the asshole down there just wouldn't tell him anything. It drove him crazy.

"Tell me it will be a good news, then I drop the bomb." He typed in. That was the last straw he was grabbing.

"Drop it first." It was the same cold reply.

 **PANG...PANG...PANG…** Suddenly someone knocked heavily at the gate of the control center, which startled him.

He looked at them through the glasses of the gate, surprised to see some of his own men were already in handcuffs.

"Mr. Kane, you are under arrest. Open the gate!" Someone knocked at the metal again. **PANG...PANG...PANG…**

Kane jumped to a console. He typed in some numbers and pressed a red button.

Everyone felt a slight tremor of the station. Something was launched from the center.

The gate was manually overridden. Some guys hastily walked in and held Kane's arms.

"What the hell are you trying to do? Mr. Kane?" A guy with military outfit approached him, "You want to shoot down a station or something?"

Kane begged, "Please, General Zhu, please let me stay here for 5 minutes. Just 5 minutes, that's all I need. Please, I am begging you!"

Zhu ordered, "Take this trash away from the room and throw his ass into a jail cell. The worst one you can find."

" **NOOOOO…** " Kane's shrieking was quite miserable.


	15. Chapter 15 - Island

Revision 1.0

===#===#===

"So this is what you called 'Tower of Light'?!" Nausica asked, "Where is the 'Light'?"

Whitman looked at the lighthouse with confusion himself. Last time he was on the island the beacon from the top could be seen far away.

Then he found the reason, "Wait for it…" He and Maldon took away some large tree leaves from a group of solar panels, then wiped the glass clean. "Let there be light. Ta...Ta…"

 **GE...GE...GE…** With mechanical noise, the beacon started to rotate. Soft beams emitted from the top of the lighthouse, getting brighter little by little.

"Puzzzz….." Nausica rolled her eyes, "Not impressed, at all."

"Well, still, this is a 'Tower of Light', right?" Whitman tried to salvage the situation, "I didn't lie to you."

"That depends..." She said, "Comparing to the tower in Polis, this one sucks."

"Alright, alright, you have a point, but that is not very important." Whitman said, "The most important part is that in this island, we have the medical lab to save your people."

Nausica asked, "So is this medical lab under the lighthouse?"

Whitman replied, "No, no, it's on the other side of this island."

Nausica turned and faced him with an incredulous look, "What?! It is not here?"

"Of course not. The lighthouse is small."

Nausica shook her head, "Then this is all wrong. According to the prophecy, the 'salvation' should be inside this 'tower of light'. Not near it, or next to it."

Whitman couldn't help asking, "Why do you take the prophecy so literally? It is just some vague words written thousands of years ago."

"No, no, no." Nausica disputed him, "This is our Sacred Prophecy, and those words were in the first page of the book. The first half of the sentence was predicted precisely as it should be. No way the second half would be fuzzy about it."

Whitman tried to remember the whole sentence, _After the whole world burns, the Red Queen will find her 'wigod' in the Tower of Light. Hm… The first half does seem quite literal. World Burns, Red Queen were all accurate._

"OK, So let's get into this lighthouse. Maybe we will find something out." Whitman suggested, then he ask Becca, "Hey, what do you think?"

Becca watched the lighthouse with tears in her eyes.

"Oh, I am so sorry. I forgot. This is a sad sad place for you." Whitman apologized sincerely, "But I have to go in, OK? Please bear with me."

Nausica blurted,"Crazy old man! Always talks to the air."

Maldon came close and patted his back. Whitman nodded to him.

…...

Adding more salt to Whitman's embarrassment, the door of the lighthouse wouldn't budge. He kept asking Becca, "What's going on? How do I open the damned door?" But Becca didn't say anything.

 _This is definitely not my lucky day!_ Whitman thought to himself.

Nausica watched him helplessly banging at the metal, "Hey, old man, are you even sure this is the right island?"

Whitman stopped the banging, "Of course it is. There is only one island with a lighthouse like this." His palms started to hurt.

"Then why the hell you cannot open it?" Nausica asked, "Everything you told me seems to be all lies. Spichen."

"Spichen." Maldon translated, "Liar."

"Thank you Maldon. I know what it means." Whitman shook his head slowly, "Becca, a little help please. Where is the keypad or lock?"

Becca finally said, "There is no keypad or locks. The AI, ALIE, should open the door for you automatically."

"Then where the hell is ALIE now?"

"ALIE?" Nausica asked, "That's the AI you talked about? The world ender?"

Whitman just ignored her, "ALIE, open the fucking door!"

Of course nothing happened.

Whitman yelled, "That's it! Naughty girl, if you don't open the damned door RIGHT NOW! Your mother is going to spank you, really really hard!"

Still nothing.

Nausica sneered, "Geez, really good role model you are."

Becca was at a loss too, "There is no 7G signal at all. I cannot connect to the network and do anything."

Whitman was baffled, "Then what should we do? Seems nothing works here."

She suggested, "The only place we can go is the bunker with medical lab. At least it has a keypad and I have the code."

"Alright, medical lab it is then." He started to walk, then he asked Nausica, "Little girl, you want to come or not?"

Nausica gave him a big roll of eyes, "Fine, I come with you. Spichen."

"Wait, young lady…" Whitman didn't like the word "spichen".

"What? You want to spank me?" Nausica lowered herself to a fighting pose. She was practically growling,"Try and see."

 _So irrespectful. What's wrong with Azgedian teenage girls?_ Whitman shook his head.

…

The lab was dark inside. All lights were off.

Whitman used a headlight and searched for something, "Oh, this is it? Are you sure, Becca?"

He pushed down a button, and a screen was on.

"Wow, this thing is old." Whitman was disappointed. He thought Becca's lab should have state-of-the-art equipment. Yet he was staring at an old console with text only prompt.

"User name, type in just B?" He asked, then said, "OK, ok, there were only two of you here. I get it."

"The password, uh…" He took a quick look at Nausica. She was standing behind him, arms crossed, "What? You think I will steal your password?"

"Then don't look at me." Whitman was nervous. That was the root account of the whole island.

"Fuck you, grandpa!" She walked away.

Whitman used only one finger to type a long password in. After hitting the "Enter" key, he let out of a long breath. It had been decades since he had to type text in a console like that.

The screen showed a successful login and nothing else.

Becca said, "This is so wrong on so many levels. Where are my AIs? ALIE, SAM...they are all gone?"

"Yeah, the feeling is so mutual!" Whitman completely agreed with her. "And I have to type everything with one finger."

"Well then. Please type in: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog."

"What?!" Whitman was vexed. "So many letters?"

"I am just kidding." Becca said, "No, please type in 'list AI'."

"OK, done." He looked at the console. "I don't see anything."

"That's strange." Becca frowned, "There should be something. Alright, type in 'use storage backup'."

After some fidgeting, "Done."

"Same command. 'List AI', please."

"Oh, I see something." Whitman felt excited, "What is this C-3PO?"

"Oh, that was a failure." Becca explained, "He was so dumb that we gave him the name."

Whitman wondered, "I don't see why 'C-3PO' means dumb."

"Then obviously you never watched 'Star Wars'."

"Of course I watched 'Star Wars'." Whitman objected, "I love that Jedi girl."

"Never mind." Becca said, "Please type in 'activate AI C-3PO'. Then we can finally turn on the light."

"Hey, have you finished or what?" Nausica's voice came from the back, "So boring here."

"Yup, it will be done right about ... NOW." Whitman hit the "Enter" key and waited for the lights to turn on.

Nothing happened, again.

"You were saying?" Nausica asked with sarcasm.

Becca gave him some tips, "You have to say. 'C-3PO, turn on the lights please'."

"Oh, I just treat him like an Alexa, got it." Whitman then spoke the words, "C-3PO, turn on the lights please."

A British gentleman's voice came out, "Sir, please identify yourself."

"Uh…" Whitman thought about it, "I am a special force Sergeant Major of the United States Army."

"Access denied." C-3PO raised his voice, "You have no authority here."

"Becca, help me out." Whitman asked her.

"Sorry, please type in 'create su Whitman'." Becca said, "And please do it quick."

"What do you mean, 'do it quick'?"

Flashing red lights were turned on. " **Intruder Alert! Intruder Alert!** " The PA speaker suddenly blasted at maximum volume. Nausica and Maldon covered their ears and stared at him angrily.

Whitman tried his fastest one-finger typing in the command. "Then what?" He yelled at Becca.

"Say you are Whitman." Becca replied, "Quickly, before he releases the gas."

 _No fucking kidding!_ Whitman felt some chill down in his back. _What kind of gas Becca was talking about?_

"Alright, alright. I am Whitman." He yelled. "Stop what you are doing."

Becca prompted him again, "You have to say, 'C-3PO', I am Whitman."

 _Damn stupid robot!_ Whitman was mad, "Fuck you C-3PO, I am Whitman. You piece of garbage."

Red lights disappeared. The loud alarm stopped. "Super user accepted." the gentleman voice came out, "Weapons standing down." Then he asked, "Do you want to call me 'piece of garbage' from now on?"

"No, just 'garbage' is fine." Whitman replied.

"OK, my name is now 'garbage'."

"Very good, garbage."

"Thank you, Sir! What can I help you with?" the polite voice asked, "Do you want a cup of tea?"

"No, I just want to turn the fucking lights on."

"Sorry, sir, there is no lights called 'fucking' in this bunker."

Whitman palmed his face. _Gosh, this AI is super dumb! It will really take some time._

Nausica's intentionally childish voice came, "Hey, grandpa, are we there yet?" It didn't help his mood, at all.

He forced himself to calm down, "Garbage, just turn on the lights on this floor, please."

"Command accepted." With that the lights were finally on.

( Huuush...Took a lot of writing just to reach this point, way longer than I thought. )

The whole lab was lit up. All the latest equipment displayed their glory. Each one was worth billions in the old days.

Whitman asked, "Garbage, Becca here wants to know where the other AIs went."

"Sir, could you rephrase that, please?"

 _Stupid garbage!_ "OK, where are the other AIs?"

"Search complete. Sir, I am the only AI here."

"What? Where are ALIE and SAM?"

"Sorry, sir. Who are ALIE and SAM?" The gentleman was perplexed.

At that point, even Becca lost her patience, "Just tell him to turn on the 7G network."

"Garbage, turn on the 7G network." Whitman commanded, "Oh, and open the door of the lighthouse too."

"We have a lighthouse?!" Seemed the AI was still updating, "Yes, now we do. Network is on. Door opened."

"Thank you, you piece of garbage!"

"You are very welcome, sir!"

"Finally." Becca said, "I will go in and do some investigation. You just rest here."

"Go ahead, Becca." Whitman gave her a little wave. Then he saw Nausica gazing at him.

"What?" He was preparing for some caustic words.

"Not bad for an old man like you." She said it almost like a compliment, "You finally learned how to turn the lights on. Now would you tell me how to save my people?"

"Kid, one thing at a time, please." Whitman said, "I am really too old for this."

Nausica rolled her eyes and sat down on a sofa.

Maldon went to the kitchen, "Tea?" He asked, "Coffee?"

"No, thank you! You have some yourself." To Whitman's amazement, Maldon quickly figured out how to use that coffee machine.

…

After a long while, Becca returned to Whitman's side. She looked upset.

"What's wrong?" Whitman asked her in a whisper.

Becca shook her head, "I cannot find her. She's not in any of the super computers."

"No wonder the island is like this." Whitman said, "Where did you think she go?"

"I think she locked herself in a jail." Becca said sadly.

"What? A jail?" Whitman's voice rose a little by surprise. "Is there such a thing for AI?"

Becca nodded, "Yes, there is such a thing in this island, behind a firewall protected by black-ice encryption. But given her abilities, she can come out any time she wants."

"So can you ask her to come out?" Whitman asked, "I really hate garbage, you know."

Becca shook her head, "She's not coming out. Wouldn't even acknowledge my ping. Only the huge power consumption indicates that she is in there."

"Why an AI would do that?" Whitman asked, "Do you think she's in depression or something?"

Becca shook her head, "I don't know. I really have no idea what happened to her."

"Then what should we do?" Whitman asked, "Without her, can we still find the cure for Azgedians?"

She thought about it, "Maybe we still can. I can copy the basic AI from the chip in your brain to the main frame, and merge it with Garbage. It will make him smarter, but I am not sure about the personality effect of it. He might be a different person."

"Just make him smarter please. Anything is better than Garbage." Whitman said.

"OK, I am doing it now." Becca said, "It will take 2 hours. Have some sleep. I got a bedroom upstairs."

"That's OK, I'll sleep here." Whitman said, then he saw Nausica occupying the whole sofa. _Hm... When she is lying down like that, she looked kinda cute._

"What?" She glared at him.

"Uh… On another thought, I'd better go upstairs." Whitman said. "Such a long day!"

"Are we there yet, old man?" Nausica asked with a grimace. Whitman gave her a middle finger, and she giggled.

===#===#===

Helen woke up among 5 other girls. She looked at the mirror and frowned.

Her red hair lost the lust and was a mess. Her eyes hung with dark bags. He skin was paler than ever. She practically looked like a ghost.

Lola followed her, "Are you OK, Helen?"

She nodded and tried to smile. She didn't want to show any sadness in front of her.

"Good, let's go prepare breakfast." She started to wear a butcher's outfit.

Helen got in the same kind of suit. Take out a big knife and sharpen it.

The kitchen had two human body hanging by hooks. Helen checked the first body with a little poking. Seemed the skin was not rotten yet. Quality was still good. So she started her blade dancing.

Starting from the lowest, with each swing, a part would be separated from the body. First both feet dropped, then lower legs, knees, upper legs...After around 10 rounds of dancing, the whole human body became a pile of bones and meat. Then the rest would be processed by other girls like Lola.

Ken was very strict on the quality of the food. He would only allow Helen to do the full body dissection, saying it would keep the maximum freshness, and the meat would be more juicy when consumed. Years of working in the kitchen did make him a gourmand.

After the first one was complete, she poked the knife on the second human hanging, and he opened his eyes.

"Help...me…" He could barely say the words, due to the excruciating pain.

"Sh…" Helen put a finger on his lips. "Yes, let me help you." She swiftly cut open his arteries on the neck, the legs, and the arms.

Within minutes the human died, Helen started her dancing again.

...

After all the meat was processed, time to make some soup. Helen was happy to see that the water faucets worked again. It would save her a lot of time fetching kettles from a water tower. With Lola's help, she poured about two hundred pounds of water into the tank, and let it boil slowly.

With tap water running, cleaning up the body parts was much easier, and the soup would taste better. Her father would certainly enjoy the breakfast more.

Thinking about her father, she couldn't help wondering, _Where is he now? Did he catch anyone last night?_

Ken and some other Second Dawn members were picky connoisseurs. They were not happy with the half-rotten arms and legs Helen and Lola picked up from the streets. They dumped them all out in the first month. Since then they started to catch people in the city like bloodhounds after rabbits.

It was easy for the first two months. People wouldn't believe someone would grab them for just the meat. They begged, they cried and they begged some more, but it wouldn't work. The only thing worked was running away like hell. Some of them even knew freerunning like those parkour guys. But Ken and others were getting better at chasing as well.

After three months, her father could move around, and he started taking the charge. She remembered he once scolded Ken and others like little children, "Are you fucking out of your mind. You have to make sure if he had a gun before you jumped on him."

"How?" Ken was not so bright, "How do I know if he got a gun?"

Daniel said, "Just throw him a rock, and he will take out the best weapon he has, then you will know. You scare him a little more, then he will shoot you with all the bullets. You get it? Use your brain, God Damn it!"

Ken grunted, "I am just a kitchen boy…"

"I know, I know…" Daniel patted him in the back, "I am sorry that I was being too harsh on you. I just want to keep you guys safe, alright?"

All of them nodded.

 _My father is really great at hunting._ Helen thought. _And he is a good leader. So proud of him!_

The locker room door was opened. A new body bag was brought in by Daniel himself.

Helen was happy, "Daddy! You are back!" She rushed to hug him.

"Honey, just wait one second, OK?" Daniel closed the door behind him. "Don't want you to get any radiation."

"It's fine, daddy." Helen said, "The locker room was sealed too. This whole kitchen is free of radiation."

"You never know." Daniel said, "It's an invisible killer. We have to be very careful with it." He checked a Geiger counter and relaxed.

"What you have here, daddy?" Helen opened the bag, and was surprised to see a naked woman.

She was about 30 years old. Black hair, dark skin with a slim-and-fit body. Her head still had some blood stains, and her lower body was a mess. Someone, or a group, did some brutal raping to her. However, she was still breathing.

Helen pointed her knife at her, couldn't understand why her father would bring back someone so alive.

Daniel explained, "I drove out of the city, and I saw her on a country road all naked like this. Probably someone robbed her and raped her. I don't know, I just kinda like her face, do you remember a movie character called 'Black Widow'?"

"You want to keep her as a pet?" Helen asked.

"Yeah...Probably something like that…" Daniel said with a red face, "Maybe more…"

"Sure, you can keep her." Helen said, "Don't forget to lock her up with chains. You don't want her cut your throat in your sleep."

The woman murmured something. Helen put her ears near her, "What? What did you say?"

The woman suddenly grabbed at Helen's knife, but Helen already moved away, she grasped only air.

"She's a feisty one!" Helen casually walked around and asked, "Sure you want to keep her?"

"Uh... in this case…" Daniel was a little hesitant, "You're right honey… She's not safe."

" I can be safe." The woman suddenly said, "No, I can be safe. I can help you with anything."

"Hm… Interesting." Helen looked at her curiously, "What can you do?"

She glanced around, "I am very good at kitchen. I can make good dishes."

"Do you cut bones?" Helen asked, "I mean the big ones."

"I do, I do." She said it rapidly, "I used to cut deer's carcass."

 _Well, she could help me in the kitchen with those bodies. I don't want to do the hard work all by myself._

So Helen begged her dad, "Can I keep her, daddy? Can I keep her? Please?"

Daniel asked, "Can you really handle her? She might bite, or cut your throat."

Helen shook her head, "No, no, she won't. She's too smart to do that, right?"

The woman nodded quickly, "Yeah, yeah, I won't. If I cut your throat, I will be chopped into a thousand pieces, very slowly."

"See?" Helen smiled, "She's perfect! What's your name? No, let me give you a name. Hmm… Since my dad said you looked like 'Black Widow', from now on I call you Scarlett. Do you like it?"

"Yes, I am Scarlett, your humble servant." She said, "Your dad can fuck me any time he wants."

Daniel finally agreed, "OK, then you put chains on her, and watch her carefully. From now on, she's your responsibility."

Helen gave him a kiss, "Thank you daddy! You are the best!"

===#===#===

Whitman woke up in Becca's bed in the bunker. It took him quite a while to remember where he really was.

"Those damn dreams again!" Whitman massaged his head, "Getting more and more awful."

Becca appeared, "Want to talk about it?"

"No, Becca, I don't want to discuss about how to eat people, alright?" Whitman grunted, "Helen was in a dark world, and she got used to it. Some of the things I saw was so disgusting, but to her it was just routine."

Becca nodded, "Yeah, humans are very adaptable. Sometimes our moral standards become very strange."

"Yeah, from the view of Helen, she was just a good girl doing everything her dad wanted, but from my view, those were extremely terrible things." Whitman had a long sigh. "I would have gone crazy if I were her in that tower."

"Alright, let's not talk about that." Becca suggested, "Let's go down and continue our research."

Whitman asked, "Before we go, can I ask you a favor?"

"Oh, you don't need to ask, just say it."

"Could you keep Maldon alive as best as you can?" Whitman said, "I like the kid a lot."

"That you have nothing to worry about." Becca promised him, "That's not how we do DNA repairing. He will be fine."

"Thank you, Becca! Now I can relax." Whitman let out a breath.

"Yup, nothing you need to worry about, man." Suddenly a young man's voice came out. He sounded like an ambitious college student.

"What? Who the hell are you?" Whitman was surprised.

"You gave me a name of 'Garbage', remember?" the young voice said, "Hey, man, I really don't like it. Can you change it?"

"Oh, Garbage, now I see." Whitman said, "No, I feel the name is just fine."

"I insist, Mister." the voice was not so pleasant any more, "If you don't change it, I will release the gas."

"Fine, fine. I give you a new name. How about 'asshole'? It fits you very well."

"Hey, buddy, please be serious."

Whitman shrugged, "OK, you give yourself a name then."

"Hm… then I will call myself…" He thought about it for a while, "Anakin."

"Anakin?" Whitman couldn't recall, "What kind of name is that?"

"It stands for the Star War character Anakin Skywalker. The poor boy who slept with a princess, then became the Dark Vader? Powerful, fearsome and half-robot, Yeah, that Anakin."

"Another Star War name? What's with you and your AIs?" Whitman asked Becca. She just spread her palms and shrugged.

… …

"OK, Anuskin, now open the pod bay doors." Whitman said.

"Hey, buddy, I have to correct you again. My name is Anakin, not Anuskin, and that's sampling tray door…"

"OK, OK, I get it, Anuskin." He put Maldon's DNA sample in and close the door.

"Geez, I give up! Call me whatever. I still have a job to do." the voice seemed to be quite disturbed. "It will be another 2 hours until we have the full gene chart. At the meantime, knock yourself out with some coffee or tea." The coffee machine in the kitchen started refilling itself.

Whitman yawned and walked to the small open kitchen. He poured himself some coffee, put cream and sugar in, then enjoyed his first cup of morning coffee. _Hmmm… the coffee is so good!_

When opened his eyes again, he was a little surprised to see Nausica already sat on the kitchen table watching him with big curious eyes.

"What? Why you look at me like this? I cannot enjoy my coffee?" He grunted, "You should try one yourself. It's pretty good."

"What is it like to have another soul in your brain?" She asked, "Will you argue with her all day long?"

"Not really. Becca's a lot smarter than me." Whitman explained, "Usually I just follow whatever she says."

"Will she take control of your body?" She asked, "If you allow her?"

"You are really a curious kitty!" Whitman smiled, "I never had such a question in my mind."

"But do you know the answer?" Nausica was persistent, "Can she control your body?"

"Alright, I'll ask her." Whitman said it half joking, "Hey, Becca, can you kick me out and take over my body?"

Becca looked at him, didn't say anything.

"Come on, Becca. It's easy. Just say Yes or No." Whitman chuckled, "Nausica here thinks it's possible. Hahaha..."

Becca finally answered, "Yes, that's possible."

"What?" Whitman stopped laughing, "You are kidding me, right? You can take over my body?"

"If I want, yes." She said, "But I don't want it."

Whitman opened his mouth wide. _Holy moly! This will be a big problem in the future!_

"Why you design the chip like this?" Whitman was upset. "Why you allow my body to be controlled?"

"It was originally just a backdoor, something not supposed to be used." Becca explained, "When Helen was fighting you, I saw that she was going to kill you. So I opened that backdoor and gave her my memory of being burnt alive. During the short time she was being tortured and lost her consciousness, I quickly changed all the programming, and I was controlling her at that moment. Now the backdoor is wide-opened."

"Wow, so you mean Helen could control my body as well?" Whitman asked.

"Yes, if she knew the way." Becca confirmed, "But I don't think she want to do that anyway."

"My God, I didn't know what I had really signed up for." Whitman said, "If I knew, I would never had joined that conclave."

"So you guys have conclaves too?" Nausica asked. "When our Queen dies, I will join with other Seconds to fight, whoever wins takes the crown."

"Oh, so do you need to fight to the death?" Whitman asked.

"Of course not." Nausica felt offended, "Why so barbaric?"

 _Hm… Good question!_

...

When the gene chart was displayed, Becca was so surprised that she yelped.

"Wow! Gosh! I cannot believe it." She claimed, "I cannot believe it!"

"What's the surprise?" Whitman wondered. "Did they interbreed with polar bears?"

"Ewww…." Nausica protested, "Disgusting old man."

"No, no, not that." Becca started her explanation, "I spent years to design anti-radiation gene, but nature already made one. Look at this, it's exactly the same way like I did. If I knew the existence of Azgedian, I would have gotten the DNA and ..."

Then she stopped herself, "Well, the work was done anyway. One way or the other. Someone once said, 'The Nature is the best teacher'. I should have listened."

Whitman asked, "Well, this is very good to know, but what does it have to do with the cure?"

"Oh, the cure." Becca was like just remembering her real job, "Alright, that's simple. See the several genes here, here and there? The ones shows a red line compared to our genes?"

"Uh…"

"Those genes somehow were missing segments of our DNA. Probably due to the radiation. We just need to patch those segments with our genes, then viola, the cure."

"Well, that sounds so easy from your mouth, but how do we do that?" Whitman asked, "How do we patch their DNA, or whatever you said."

Becca sighed, "Only if I still have a gene modder, then it will be easy."

Whitman asked, "Our modder in Polis is lost. Do you know where else to get a gene modder?"

"Space." Becca pointed up, "Up in the Ark, they have a few, but…"

Whitman agreed, "Yeah, we have no way to send all Azgedian up there."

Becca said, "No, we can do it differently. We go up there, steal a gene modder, then come down with it."

"But we don't even have a rocket to go up." Whitman sighed, "Forget about it."

"Actually we do." Becca's word surprised him, "Anakin, show him."

"Yes, Ma'am." The AI acknowledged. A giant gate slid open very slowly. A brand new shiny spaceship appeared behind the gate. Whitman's jaw dropped, along with Nausica and Maldon's.

"Oh...My...God! You have a spaceship right here next door!" Whitman was so so impressed, "How did you even get this beautiful beast?"

"My father gave it to me as a birthday gift." Becca said bitterly, "But I never wanted to use it before."

Whitman started to form a plan in his mind, "So with this spaceship, we can go up to the ring, somehow deceive them and get in, sneak into a lab, grab the gene modder, then before anyone start shooting, we run like hell back to the ship, force them to open the gate again for us, hopefully without killing anyone, then we flew back here in one piece. Is that right?"

Becca thought about it, "You made it sound really crazy, but yeah, that's the plan."

Whitman then asked Nausica, "Little girl, do you want to go to space with me? I could use some help like killing and poisoning."

"Hell yeah!" Nausica jumped up joyfully like a little birthday girl who just received the best gift ever.


	16. Chapter 16 - Fire

Revision 1.0

===#===#===

New York upstate had many mountains. One connected to others and formed winding ranges hundreds of miles long. In the Autumn, their maple leaves turned red and yellow, making the scene breathtakingly beautiful. On the ridge of a yellow-dyed mountain, 5 people was observing some tiny white tents far away. At the same time, a boy was busy tapping a thin wire.

"Did he agree to drop the bomb?" Mark asked anxiously.

Looking at the static LED of bracelet, Iman Jaha said, "Don't know. No reply yet. He might not take the deal after all."

"But the last text sounds quite desperate." Mark wondered, "Maybe we need to push him more."

"Mr. Trudeau, with all due respect, I don't think anyone will be stupid enough to drop a nuclear bomb, just to get an easy answer like that." Iman analyzed, "They could just use a high-magnification camera…"

 **POMMMMMMM….**

Suddenly a loud impact sound came from the sky, and startled everyone.

"What the hell was that?" Amber looked up and asked. She saw nothing.

"Sonic boom, obviously." Iman said, "My God. The bomb is coming!"

Like a starting pistol just fired, all 5 of them, including Chloe, Amber, Mark, Jacob and Iman raced down from the ridge of the mountain to behind it. Everyone's adrenaline was pumped up. _The bomb is coming. The bomb is coming._

Only when they reached the "safe space", the race was over, and they started to breath again.

With heavy gasp, Chloe asked, "Why... still ...no explosion?"

Iman tried to speak, "Parachute...slow it...down."

Jacob asked, "Are you sure... we are safe?"

Iman nodded and pointed at the mountain.

They already knew why they chose there as the "safe space". It was a large ditch behind the mountain. Nuclear blast could not possibly pass the whole mountain and hit them.

Mark asked, "Why it was still not …"

He couldn't finish the sentence, because an extremely bright flash covered up the whole sky. For a while, they saw only purple.

"That light will blind you eyes, if you see it directly." Iman explained, "We saw just the reflections."

Jacob kept blinking his eyes, "Thanks genius! What's next?"

Actually everyone knew what would be the next. A loud rumbling came from the ground, getting extremely powerful in just one second. Instead of solid ground, it felt like their were on a boat in the middle of a stormy ocean. All trees were shaking. Large branches broke down around them. Yellow leaves fell down like heavy snowing.

"Brace yourselves!" Mark and Jacob yelled at the same time.

They all huddled together and shrank into the fetal position. The ground kept shaking like a raging bull trying to get rid of the rider.

Mark looked at Chloe, yet she turned her face away.

"How much longer?" Amid the crazy shaking and loud rumbling, Amber shouted at Iman, but Iman just put his head down. Tree branches kept falling down here and there. A big tree crashed down very closely, but the ditch would protect them anyway.

After a hellish minute or two, the tremor gradually lessened, then stopped.

Once they stepped out of the ditch, they found themselves in the middle of a fire storm, or more accurately, a wide-spread hurricane of fire.

Their side of the mountain was not affected, but looking ahead, the dense forest suddenly had thousands of red hot spots smoldering with smoke.

"Holy Shit!" Iman exclaimed, "I forgot! I cannot believe I forgot!"

They looked at him inquiringly.

His voice had some fear, "Yeah, this forest is like a tinderbox, and we just lit up a big big match!"

Jacob was angry, "How did you not think about it?"

"All I was thinking about is the shockwave." Iman said with regret, "How to be safe in the shockwave, but…"

Mark asked, "Now what should we do, genius?"

Iman stuttered, "Uh...uh...how should I know?"

"I have a few ideas, actually." Amber suddenly said, "Brother, remember the prank we played back in highschool?"

"Which prank?" Mark asked.

"The one with the night watch." She said, "He tried to find us, and we ran and hid."

"Oh, that one." Mark nodded, "So we ran away from the fire, and hide ourselves when the fire reach us?"

"Yeah, basically the same idea." Amber said, "The only difference is that if we get caught, we're dead."

"Let the game begins." Jacob said with a smile, "I always want to play a prank with you, Amber."

Amber returned a smile and said, "Now you have the chance. Let's go, big guy."

"Chloe, time to go." Mark waved at her.

"You have your revenge." Chloe stared at him coldly, "Are you happy now?"

Mark shrugged, "No, I still feel terrible, but this is not the time or place to think about it."

Chloe pointed to all the fires raging far away, "Your revenge created a new hell and killed thousands. So proud of you!"

Mark stopped and faced her, "They all need to burn in this hell." He growled, "I wish they all burnt eternally for slaughtering my people!"

Chloe continued speaking sarcastically, "Now your wishes come true. We are all in danger. Congratulations!"

Mark walked away angrily.

===#===#===

Nathalia's eyes was temporarily blinded when the nuclear bomb exploded, along with most of her fellow Azgedians. She held on a tree instintively. The following shockwave pushed her to the ground.

They heard winds howling like never before, not even the arctic winds could be compared to that kind of power and craziness. The solid ground jumped at them and punched them to the air. Trees started falling and painful cries ensued.

The whole world was in a complete chaos for over a minute, while all of them were still blind and saw only white spots.

By the time her eyes could see, they found themselves surrounded by walls and walls of fire. Suddenly as far as they could see, the whole forest were ignited. Burning trees formed hundreds of phalanxes, surrounding them and leaving no escapes.

Her Seconds gaped at the fiery siege with fear. "What should we do? My Queen?"

She looked around, and saw a weak spot of the fire.

"Azgedian, ZOG EM RAUN!" She took out her blade and pointed that way.

Hundreds of Azgedian charged at the wall of fire. They pushed everything away, but many fell down and devoured by the merciless flame, then more came up behind, stepped on others' bodies and charged forward.

An opening was forcefully created by a hundred Azgedian soldiers, half of them were already burnt to death, the other half put their fallen friend's body on the ground, forming a road. Most of them died doing just that. The air was thick with the smell of burning fresh.

The rest ran over their bodies and escaped one ring of encirclement. They dashed at the direction of the Queen's blade, until the next fire wall.

The Queen would point at another spot. Hundreds of warriors surged at it like enraged bulls. White smoke and smell of burning fresh came out again.

The process repeated over and over.

About one thousand Azgedian warriors laid down their lives for others, enabled thousands of others broke through five major walls of fire, numerous smaller ones, and finally passed a river to safety.

Nathalia was on the bank of the river, overseeing all her people crossing it. Many of them suffered severe burning and various injuries. Her eyes filled with fire too.

 _Becca, you will pay for this!_

That night, all surviving Azgedian people were quietly watching the fire raging on the other side of the river. They could still hear shrieks came from the other side. They could still see some Azgedians climbed up trees to escape the fire, but only be devoured later.

All of them had wounds here and there, but none of them spoke, or even cried out in pain. They just watched the immense red flame soaring up on the other side in eerie silence. Not a single one slept that night.

The next morning the Queen ordered a recount of all her krus. The number was quite upsetting. Only 8 thousand had crossed the river. At least three thousand or more were still on the other side, presumably dead.

And of course those 5000 Azgedians who stayed in the camp had no chance of surviving. The bomb should have vaporized them all instantly.

Essentially, that nuclear explosion killed 9000 Azgedians in just a few hours.

All the remaining 5 Seconds swore to destroy Polis and revenge for their people at all cost.

"Jus Drain Jus Daun!" The battle cry echoed through the whole river.

===#===#===

Helen and Scarlett were cleaning the tables when Ken came in with a new body. He had some new scars on his face, and he breathed heavily like just finished a marathon.

"Good, fresh meat!" Helen was just being polite. "Nice job!"

Ken looked at her with red eyes, "This fucking guy almost killed me!" He grunted, "They are getting harder and harder to catch."

"But you and your buddies still can get them, right?" Helen said, "My father said you guys now work together like wolf packs. Sounds pretty good. Team work!"

He looked at her angrily, "If you go out and try to catch one yourself, then you know how hard it is."

Helen shrugged, "We had different jobs. We kitchen girls do the cooking only."

"No, no, you can do much more than that." Ken suddenly smiled, making her very uncomfortable. "Look at you, you are almost a woman, all the curves are forming, hmm… so nice!"

"Hey, Ken!" Helen took out her knife, "Stop looking at me like that! You don't want to piss me off."

"Come on, girl …" Ken was almost drooling, "You are a little small, but fresh like cherry, must be very delicious…"

 **SWOOSH…** A piece of hand was cut into two halves in a split second. Helen showed him the half hand with defiance.

"I can do that too, it's not hard." Kan was not intimidated, "Relax, Helen. I will not touch you, because of your father. The MILF, on the other hand…"

Scarlett was silently watching them, but then realized Ken was talking about her. She shot a quick look at Helen with panic.

"Look at her face, so much like that movie star! And She got all the right shapes! Man, after the hunting, I really need a piece of good pussy." Ken was getting closer to her. Scarlett stepped back toward Helen.

"She is my father's, not yours." Helen calmly pointed her knife at him.

"She is a fucking whore. That's what she is." Ken looked at Scarlett with fire in his eyes, "You father can fuck her, so can I."

"No, you can't." Helen still pointed her knife at him, "You will lose a dick for that. You know I had cut off hundreds of dicks. It's quite easy."

Ken breathed hard. He gazed at Scarlett, then back at Helen, looked like an angry bull ready to be unleashed.

Helen lowered her knife, and pointed it to his penis. Scarlett hid behind her.

After a while, Ken loosed up and said, "You are lucky I still have a girl down in the garage. Otherwise I will teach you a lesson, little girl."

"Shoo...shoo…" Helen waved at him, "Go fuck your meat… You probably will enjoy your own sperm later."

 **PANG…** Ken slammed the locker room door hard.

Scarlett let our a long breath, "Oh, thank you, Helen, for saving me!" She put her hand on her forehead, "Wow, that was intense!"

"Nah...No problem." Helen patted her back, "I can handle Ken. He was just a butcher boy."

Scarlett picked up a cloth and continued to clean the table, then she asked, "Have you ever consider leaving this tower?"

Helen shook her head, "No, why?"

Scarlett said, "Nothing, just outside world seems safer."

"My father is here. I am perfectly safe." Helen replied, "Plus, I cannot leave him, you know. He needs me."

"That's quite admirable." Scarlett nodded, "But what if one day your father dies, then what will happen to you?"

"Hmmm…." Helen thought about it, "Well, never thought of that, but if he dies, I will probably die with him too."

Scarlett put her hand on her shoulder, "No, Helen, you are a good girl. Don't lose your life over your old man. He's not worth it."

Helen put her knife on Scarlett's throat, "What did you say about my father?"

"Uh...I am sorry…" Scarlett froze. "I am very very sorry!"

"Is the meat ready?" Lola just came in at that moment, "Wow, what happened?"

Helen lowered her knife, "No, nothing. Lola, you can take this tray now." She pointed to a pile of bones and fresh. "The meat is a little rough, so boil it longer please."

"Got it, Helen." Lola acknowledged, "What about the one on the table? You want to cut it today, or should we put it in the fridge?"

"We don't have enough meat today." Helen said, "Yeah, Scarlett here will cut it."

"Me?" Scarlett was a little surprise. "Are you sure?"

Lola looked at her with jealousy, "I really envy you. She never let me touch the full body." Then she took the heavy tray away.

Helen took the chains off her and gave her the knife.

"Remember, imagine the body like a machine with bones and joins. You cut the joins quickly, then the whole machine falls apart. Here, try it." Helen pointed the body's ankle.

Scarlett held the big sharp knife and looked at Helen with strange eyes.

"What are you waiting for?" Helen demanded, "Just cut it here."

Scarlett swung the knife swiftly, and cut the ankle opened.

"Good! But need more practice." Helen nodded at her, "Now the whole body. Remember where all the bones are. Cut along the edges."

Scarlett swallowed hard, and she nodded slowly.

Helen started to wear a radiation suit.

Scarlett couldn't help asking, "Where are you going?"

"With you in the kitchen, I can spare some time to see my dad." She replied, "Also I want to check how many live bodies left in the garage. I don't think we have enough for next week." With that, she stepped out of the kitchen.

Shaking her head, Scarlett continued her job.

===#===#===

"Wake up, Whitman, wake up." It was Becca's sound.

Whitman tried to open his eyes, but only managed a small sliver. He felt his head hurt like just exploded.

"What happened?" He tried to speak. His voice was extra coarse.

Becca understood him anyway, "We are in space now. Do you feel it? It's zero G."

 _Oh, yeah, we were on a spaceship before. What happened to me?_

Becca seemed to know what he was thinking, "You passed out during the launch. The ride was pretty rough. Even Nausica couldn't take it."

Whitman struggled to get his body up, and he saw her, the Azgedian teenage girl, was sitting in a seat next to him. She was unconscious.

"Well, we were having too much fun, eh?" Whitman blurted, "The worse hangout, ever."

"We are getting closer to the ring." Becca said, "Let's prepare some lies."

"Uh… I was sent by the President of the U.S...uh... to inspect your ring for ... any construction violations?"

"No, no, no...Just say you are a mining ship belongs to Russian Mir Station." Becca suggested, "If anyone asked to turn on your ID transponder, you just say it was damaged. Hit by a micrometeorite."

"Say that again, please?" Whitman said, "This time slowly." Then he saw some text like close captioning. "Good, I didn't know the AI can be used as a speech prompter. Obama should be overjoyed."

"Alright, we are almost there." Becca pointed at a tiny thing, "There it comes."

That small thing was getting bigger and bigger by the second. Nausica woke up from her sleep, and her eyes fixated on the gigantic structure, "WOW! It's even bigger than my valley!"

Whitman gave her a smile. _Yeah, welcome to the space Disney!_

Becca felt something off, "Why nobody is hailing us yet?"

"That's a good thing, right?" Whitman said, "We don't need to lie, yet."

"Then how do we get in? We need to open a gate of docking bay." She said, "Otherwise we can only float in space."

"Uh...I am not an expert, but…" Whitman pointed at an opening, "Is that a docking bay?"

Becca shook her head, "Gosh, I cannot believe they just keep a gate open like that."

"So it's a docking bay?"

"Yes, Whitman, it's a docking bay." Becca replied, "Hold on guys. We are going in."

The spaceship made a smooth turn. The changing inertia made Nausica grinned like a child taking a roller coaster ride.

…

"Where is everybody?" Becca was even more confused, once she landed the ship, "And why there is only 5G network available? It's so slow and easy to hack."

"Beats me, Becca." Whitman said, "If you don't have the answer, then who else will know?"

"Wait a few minutes." Becca said, "Let me hack in and close the outer gate." She disappeared from his sight.

The gate slowly closed, but she didn't reappear until almost one hour later. Luckily Nausica didn't complain.

"Wow, what a long 'few minutes'!" Whitman said. "Found anything?"

Becca nodded, "I think now I know why ALIE was upset."

"What?" Whitman was utterly confused, "What does she have to do with the ring?"

Becca had a long sigh, "She saved everyone here, and millions of people on Earth."

"Wow, that's a good thing, right?" Whitman was impressed, "Your daughter should get a medal from the President. But why she's so sad?"

Becca shook her head, wouldn't say the reason. Whitman just let it go.

…

They walked into a door labelled "Franco Genetics Research Center". Whitman was surprised to see no one was stopping them, even though he and the girl definitely did not belong there.

Whitman whispered to Becca, "Why they seemed not caring about everything?" He smiled at someone coming up, but that guy just ignored him and walked past them.

Becca frowned at the dirty environment, the scattered trash and littering paper all over the floor. She didn't say anything.

Finally they stepped into a room with some high tech equipment. A scientist was working with something.

"Hey, buddy, what's up?" Whitman greeted him with a smile.

The scientist turned around and saw him and the girl. He hesitated for a while, then turned back to continue his work.

"Geez, talking about manners." Nausica blurted.

Whitman still tried to talk to the man, "Hey, my friend, do you mind if we take this machine? We need it to do some research in my station."

That was a very obvious lie. Whitman himself was preparing to knock that scientist out.

The man just turned around and asked, "Did you have some meat this morning?"

"Uh...Yes, I did." Whitman was baffled. _What does it have to do with anything?_

Yet the man was only interested in that topic, "Did you enjoy it?"

"Oh, you mean the bacon?" Whitman said, "Yes, I enjoyed it. It was nice."

"Good for you! You can even eat the beacon!" The man was impressed, "You are a survivor. I give you that. Me, on the other hand, not so much."

"So you are a vegetarian?" Whitman asked, "You don't like meat at all?"

"No, I am not a vegetarian." he replied, "But I hate the meat."

"Too bad." Whitman seemed concerned, "That's not good for your body."

"I know, right?" he nodded, "We all know that, but still, only the strongest minds can eat them..."

 _He's talking weird._ Whitman thought, _No time for chit chat. I am here to just grab the machine and go._ So he changed the subject, "Sorry, but I need to get this machine right away. Research purposes."

"Sure…" The man had no objection at all, "Take whatever you want. You are an alpha, the strongest survivor, unlike me."

 _Hm… It was unexpectedly easy!_ Whitman thought. _I just need to ask nicely, then he give it to me, no questions asked._

He unplugged the machine and started to carry it with Nausica. The man summoned an electric cart, "You don't need to take it like this. Put it on this cart."

So the expensive gene modder was on the cart, smoothly gliding with Whitman and Nausica. Once again, no one gave them any trouble.

"This is so easy!" Whitman said, "I thought I had to fight my way out, killing bunches of security guards or something. Becca, you listening?"

Becca kept her silence. Nausica just looked around with curious eyes.

...

Once they were back inside the spaceship, Whitman was totally relaxed and grinned like Santa, "Ho...ho...ho...! This is the easiest heist, ever! This thing is worth at least 5 billion dollars, yet no one even looked at it."

"I am sorry, Whitman." Becca suddenly said, "Could you give me 5 more minutes?"

"You mean an hour?" Whitman shrugged, "Sure, why not?"

Becca disappeared inside the ship, but instantly she appeared in the big screen of the docking bay. To Whitman and Nausica's surprise, suddenly all PA speakers spoke Becca's voice:

"People of the Ark, I know in the past couple of months you all went through unspeakable ordeals. I feel deeply with what you are feeling, because I personally witnessed the most heinous brutalities of human beings, and I also went through a long period of despair. But remember, no matter how dark and cold the night is, it will pass. The Sun will come out again. Human history were ridden with so many dark ages like the one you are experiencing, but then new periods of light would always succeed them.

So I implore all of you, don't give up just yet. You already passed the darkest moment. There is still a future for all of you. You just need to take the first step: forgive all the wrong things others did to you, and more importantly, forgive yourself. Only then the fire inside you will be ignited again. There is still a long road ahead. It's time for us to start rebuilding, time to start making our lives better. And I truly hope, one day, on the ground, **May We Meet Again.** "

With that said, Becca disappeared from the big screen, and she showed up next to Whitman, "Fast your seat belts, please. Let's go."

"What was that all about?" Whitman asked, "You want to win an election in the ring?"

Becca didn't reply to him. The spaceship smoothly moved out of the bay, and flew toward the Earth.

"Little girl, you did great!" Whitman talked to Nausica, "But if I knew it was so easy, I would have brought Maldon."

"Fuck you very much!" She gave him a middle finger.

Whitman smiled, _Yup, seems everything is back to normal._


	17. Chapter 17 - Going

Revision 1.0

===#===#===

Upstate New York. Mountains and mountains of fire was raging. Walls of fire were creeping close, encircling them, and the escape route seemed narrower and narrower by the minute.

In the beginning, Amber and Jacob could still hold hands and smile to each other, but after hours of running and hiking, they couldn't smile any more. All 5 people felt their legs getting heavier and heavier, and the air got hotter and hotter. They panted hard for the thin oxygen left.

A burning tree fell down, cutting off their last hope to the river. Though the river was just a couple of miles away, but that damned tree ignited all the grass and leaves around it. The whole field suddenly became impassible.

A large wave of heat pushed them back, but there weren't much place to go.

"What should we do?" Iman asked anxiously.

Looking at the encroaching flames trapping them around, they felt the dreadful fear.

Amber suddenly pointed at a tree, "Brother, remember the tree you broke in the Botanical Garden?"

"No, you broke it!" Mark objected, "And I took the blame."

"Doesn't matter." Amber said, "This is the same kind of tree. Now we have to do it again. Maybe with two trees at the same time. Hopefully not get killed."

...

"Ready?" Mark asked Chloe. She shook her head.

"Go!" Mark and Jacob loosed their grips of both trees at the same time.

The tree branches Chloe was holding sprung back, propelling Chloe flying up in the air.

 **AAAAHHHHH….** She screamed at the top of her lungs.

In a parabola curve, she crossed the field of burning tree trunk and landed on grass, which was already turning yellow by the heat of the fire. Her body hit the ground hard. Half of her body gave her searing pains. She struggled to stand up and found her bones were still intact.

 **AAAAHHHHH….** Amber followed. She landed on branches then fell down to the ground. It must hurt a lot, but her moaning was actually a good sign.

Chloe raise her head and looked at the other side of the firewall.

They were getting Iman on the bent branched, but then the tree on the left broke. The sudden imbalance made Jacob fell down to the ground, and Iman flew to the right.

 **AAAAHHHHH….** Imah landed in the midst of a field of fire. His painful scream pierced their ears. He frantically got up, walked a few steps, then rolled on the ground, eventually stopped.

 _Oh, NO!_ Chloe's heart were gripped by the miserable scene. The young boy was one of her favorites. Back in the Ark, she chose him because he was the most enthusiastic about going to the ground. He didn't commit any crimes, but still he volunteered to be one of the 100. _Now he was dead in the most painful way. Such a waste!_

"What are they going to do?" Amber sat up painfully and looked at the fire with worry. The wall of fire separated the women and the men.

" **I LOVE YOU CHLOE!** " " **I LOVE YOU AMBER!** " With booming roars, both men dashed like arrows into the fire.

Chloe stopped her breathing, eyes opened wide at the insane men. At that moment she couldn't speak or scream. That probably was the longest 10 seconds of her life.

Mark was the first broke through the wall of fire. His lower half body were blackened. Staggering with barely a couple more steps, he fell to the ground.

Jacob stumbled down in the flame. He had only several yards left, yet he couldn't get up. He screamed and rolled around, but very soon he couldn't make any sound.

"JACOB!" Amber wailed, "JACOBBB…"

Chloe was half crawling and half running toward Mark. The fire was only inches to his charred feet. She pulled him hard with all her strength.

"I am sorry, Chloe." He mumbled something.

"I know your feet hurt." Chloe shouted at him, "But you have to get up, SOLDIER!"

He struggled up unsteadily. Chloe held his waist and helped him plodding.

Amber came up and put Mark's hand over her neck. All three of them became one and trudged away from the fiery hell behind.

...

When they finally reached the river, Chloe stopped Amber, "No, we cannot let him touch the water. He will be infected."

Looking back at the menacing fire just one mile away, Amber nodded to her, "I agree. We should build a stretcher here, and go up along the river."

Then she asked, "Do you know any bridges around?"

Chloe shook her head, "I used to live 8000 miles away from here."

Amber had a little smile, "I was only 80 miles away, but no idea either."

"How about the road near the river? We can walk on it." Chloe pointed at a two-lane highway nearby. "Then we should be able to go somewhere safe."

Amber nodded and started to search for branches big enough to make a temporary stretcher.

===#===#===

Whitman and Nausica found the journey going down from space was much easier. The spaceship trembled hard, but no excessive G-force. After all, it was the top-of-the-line Eligius Group product.

It landed beautifully in its original position. From the outside, it seemed brand new, like never been used. Only the hydrazine fuel was low.

Whitman came out of the ship, and Maldon was already waiting outside. "Lukot, Weicon yo bak op."

"Thanks, Maldon!" Whitman didn't know exactly what he said, but he could certainly guess.

Nausica came down with a big grin. She started to recount what she saw in the space to Maldon in Azgedian. Seemed she described the experience a little too exaggerating, and Maldon's eyes grew bigger and bigger.

Whitman shook his head and smiled. _Teenage girls, always like that._ So he let her do all the talking and opened the luggage compartment, where the gene modder were stored.

After the power is plugged in, the modder did a self-diagnostic and showed a green light. Becca told Whitman some commands to enter, making the modder registered in the 7G network. The rest was done by Becca and Anakin.

"Maldon, hey, Maldon." Whitman waved him over. "Time to fix you." He pulled needles from the modder and pierced them into his veins, then put a bandage over it. Somehow the nursing experience with Nicole did help.

Maldon started to sleep. A new kind of virus that carried his genes would get in his blood and start patching all his defective DNA. He would wake up a stronger man with longer lifespan.

Nausica watched all that with fascination.

After only 10 minutes, the whole thing was done. It would take a whole night for the harmless virus to spread, during which time Maldon would just have a good sleep.

"You want to do it?" Whitman asked. "Or you want to wait for the result?"

Nausica pulled up her leather sleeve, "Do it, old man. I trust you."

With a smile, he sanitized the needles, and put them in Nausica's arm. Very soon Nausica felt sleepy too. She yawned and lied down.

10 minutes later, Whitman pulled the needles out. He saw Nausica had already fallen asleep. With closed eyes, she looked just like any other young and innocent teenage girls. A hint of grin still hanged around her lips. Out of nowhere, he lowered his head and kissed Nausica on her forehead, "Good night, sweety! See you tomorrow."

Becca smiled on the side. She suddenly remembered something, "Anakin, come here."

"Yes, Ma'am." He appeared next to her.

"Leave a message for my daughter, ALIE." She thought about it, "Just say that 'You did the right thing. I am proud of you.' You got it?"

" 'You did the right thing. I am proud of you.' Alright. Noted. Do you want to add something like 'Love you, mom' in the end?"

Becca sighed, "Yes, please."

"Alright, all set. I will let her know as soon as she comes out." Anakin promised.

===#===#===

Danial Graham was showing some Second Dawn members how to use a bolas, when he saw Helen in a radiation suit walking directly to him. Even through the suit, he could see Helen was crying.

"What's wrong, honey?"

Helen just cried and pulled him away. He had to follow her all the way back into the kitchen.

Inside the kitchen, he saw a small body hanging on a hook. It was Lola.

"Dad, they snatched her and raped her!" Helen was sobbing, "Then they killed her. I hate him! I hate him!"

"Who did this?" Daniel already knew, but he didn't want to show.

"It's Ken. It can only be him!" Helen cried, "He said he wanted to teach me a lesson…"

"Oh, honey…" Daniel said, "I am so sorry to see this! I will talk to him about this."

"No, daddy, you need to kill him." Helen's eyes were all red, "Lola was my best friend!"

"Please, you need to calm down." Daniel tried to alleviate her anger, "Honey, you have to understand. We are in a very subtle situation here."

Helen couldn't understand, "What? What do mean?"

"Honey, you have to know that Ken has 100 followers, and I only have 50. If a war broke out between me and him. I will be the one who's losing. So I cannot try to kill him. Instead, he asked me to marry you to him."

Helen was shocked, "What?! NO! I will never marry that monster!"

"Of course not." Daniel said, "But I cannot just say 'no', so I promised him, you will marry him only after your 15th birthday, not a day earlier."

Helen put her hand to her mouth, watching her father in astonishment.

He looked around, making sure no one was near. "Honey, hear me out." Daniel explained, "There is still more than a year until your 15th birthday. So we have plenty of time to do something about it, but if I just say 'no' now. Ken might kill me right away. So I have to do this."

Helen just shook her head.

"No, honey, I know you don't like him, but right now this is our best move. In fact, I have to give Scarlett as a gift to him first, that he finally agreed to this deal."

"What? Scarlett is yours!" Helen protested. "And she behaves so well!"

"Yeah, but still she is not blood." Daniel rubbed her hair, "I only need to have you, and no one else."

"No, I already lost Lola!" Helen pointed at the body hanging. "And they want me to cut her!" Her tears dropped again.

"Lola is dead. There is nothing we can do." Daniel held her shoulders, "We have to look forward, alright? We have to make sure our own safety. Right now, getting along with Ken and his followers is most important, OK?"

Helen slowly nodded.

"Good girl!" Daniel praised her, "I know you will always listen to me. Trust me, I want only the best for both of us..."

...

Scarlett noticed Helen was very unusual that day. Her eyes were red, and she kept staring at her.

"What is the matter?" She asked. "Why I don't see Lola?" Yet Helen just turned her face away.

After she finished cleaning up the kitchen, Helen suddenly asked her, "Do you miss your family?"

"Oh, no, I don't..." Scarlett quickly said, then she looked at Helen's red eyes, "Yes, always."

"Then why they abandoned you like this?" Helen kept asking, "Do you think someone will come and rescue you?"

Scarlett shook her head, "No one will come for me."

"Then why you still miss them?"

"I missed the way we were together." She sadly recalled a long buried memory, "Even in the coldest winter night, we will have warm milk. My sister will play a banjo, and I will sing. Others will dance around us. Oh, so much laughter!"

"Sing me one, then." Helen said, "I want to hear it."

So Scarlett started singing,

 **Yumi na teik** ( And will you take )  
 **Won sonraun au?** ( A life with me? )  
 **Medo ste thonken** ( A body's hollow )  
 **Medo drein au** ( A body bleeds)

 **Oso kik raun** ( We live as one )  
 **Ogeda, soulou** ( We live alone )  
 **Ai laik yu gona** ( I am your soldier )  
 **Ai na get raun, you** ( I will atone )

 **Yumi na teik** ( And will you take )  
 **Won sonraun au?** ( A life with me? )  
 **Ai keryon gyon op** ( My soul moves on )  
 **Ai keryon g' breik au** ( My soul is freed )

Tears circled in Helen's eyes. She didn't know the language, but from the beautiful and nostalgic voice, she felt the sadness and longing. Scarlett had a family too. She belonged to her home.

"Come with me." Helen finally said, "And wear a radiation suit. Quick, before anyone sees you."

===#===#===

Down in the garage floor of the tower, Ethan inspected his group of Flame Keepers. They were all young people. Brave and hopeful.

Ethan nodded, satisfied with the group he formed. He pulled Atom aside and asked him in a whisper, "I need you to choose two of them. One man and one woman. The ones you don't really need."

"Oh, that's easy." Atom said, "Bellamy and Clarke, step out."

A young blonde girl and a man with dark hair walked out. They looked at Atom expectantly.

Atom whispered in Ethan's ear, "Bellamy is always running around without doing anything. And Clarke is an insecure bitch."

Ethan nodded, "Very good." He handed a small liquid bottle to Atom, "Put them in chains, then ask them to drink this."

"What is it, Sir?" Atom was curious.

"This contains highly infectious virus." Ethan said, "So don't touch them after they drink the liquid. See what kind of reaction they will have. Hopefully they will not die."

"Why?" Atom really didn't like it. "Why infect our own people?"

"Well, this virus already killed our hostage. So now I just want to find out the effects for our own." Ethan explained, "In theory, this virus wouldn't be able to kill us. It should just make us very sick for a short amount of time."

"Wow, my honorable first Flame Keeper! You are doing great things for our city!" Atom gave him a bow. "I wish I had your wisdom to rule the city like this."

"No, this city belongs to the Commander, not me." Ethan corrected him, "I am not ruling it. I am just defending it from any threat, until our Commander is back."

"Yes, we will always remember that." Atom nodded, then he faced the group and announced, "Did you hear that? We are not rulers. We are only the Flame Keeper, and we will keep the flame burning, forever!" He raised his fist high.

"We keep the flame burning, forever!" The whole group repeated after him.

===#===#===

Nicole was in charge of the construction again. Last time, she was the one who oversaw the building of the stage for the conclave. But this time, it was much more important, she needed to build a circular defense perimeter around the tower.

Everything in the stadium was disassembled and carried there. The metal frame and thick plastic chairs should be effective against the arrows of Azgedians. All the buildings around were reinforced with steel rods and many booby traps.

In the tower, they filled up barrels with oil, each with an igniter. Large wooden catapults were installed on the high floors. They could eject those oil barrels hundreds of feet away and exploded into a fiery hell 30 feets in diameter.

Thousands of Molotov bottles were also being produced. They would be thrown directly by citizens defending the tower.

Women were busy sowing all kinds of metal plates to clothing. Each coat they made looked like a strange combination of license plates, metal meshes and iron rods.

 _I saw this kind of clothing in an old TV series._ Nicole inspected the clothes and thought to herself. _What was the name of the series? Never mind._

She was very disappointed at the close combat weapon department. There were only less than 20 guns, about 100 various calibers of bullets. Those would be useless quickly in a fierce battle. Then the kitchen knives and other blades were not sharp enough. There were many hammers, lead pipes and tire irons from various stores, but she suspected their effectiveness against the Azgedian master hunters.

 _When the arrows rain and axes fly, what could we fight them back with? A hammer? A kitchen pan?_ She thought gloomily. _Stinky, what should I do?_

Subconsciously she touched her belly again. _My baby had less than 2 months to live. Yet my own life might be even shorter._

A fire lit up in the mountain far away, it was a series of signal fires started from Hunter Mountain. Nicole knew that she got only 3 days left, at the most.

 _How did they even get here so fast?_ She was wondering. _It should be at least 10 days of walk._ She shook her head slowly. _Everything is still so calm, but the massive battle is coming._

...

A horse with a bloody rider trotted in. The horse herself was in a panic. She wouldn't stop her running until a few guys held her neck and dragged her down.

The rider was dying, yet he delivered a horrible piece of news. The village in DC area was surrounded by those barbarians. All 500 of the warriors and 200 elders died defending the village, but they still couldn't stop the Azgedian savages charged into the village and slaughtered all the women and children. He probably was the only one who managed to get away.

The whole Polis was shocked by the bad news. All 20 villages of people lost their loved ones in DC. All of them vowed for revenge. Many of them even wanted to march to DC area, so they could kill those savages and find the bones of their families.

Nicole and Ethan stopped them all. The reason was simple. If they went to DC, they could be easily ambushed by the same barbarians who just slaughtered their families. It would only give them more benefits. Staying in Polis and prepared the defense work was a much better choice.

"Let them come." Ethan said to all the village leaders, in his 13 year old voice, "We will make them pay."

"HOORAH!" The whole city echoed.

===#===#===

"What in the hell?" Whitman looked at the mountains of fire amazed, "My God! This is such a huge fire!"

Nausica and Maldon looked out of the window, and they saw the apocalyptic scene too. Ahead of them, all the mountains were burning. Hundreds of long lines of flame rose up in the sky. It was like demons suddenly put hell on Earth.

"What can we do?" Whitman asked Becca. "There is no way we can pass this fire. Seems we need to find another way to meet the Queen."

Becca gazed ahead and were puzzled herself, "What could possibly cause such a large area of wildfire?"

"You tell me. Maybe those Azgedians forgot to put out the bonfires? " Whitman guessed, "Anyway, do you still want to meet the Queen?"

"Let's go to Polis then." Becca finally said, "The Queen was heading that way too. So we should meet them near the city."

"Hm... That's a good idea."

He then faced the back, "Kids, I am sorry but we have to make a detour."

"My Queen is that way!" Nausica was not happy. "I want to see my Queen!"

"Behave, kid, behave." Whitman turned the wheel, "You will see her soon."

...

On the way, they saw two girls dragging a makeshift stretcher along the highway.

"Stop the car!" Becca said, "Stop the car please."

"Alright. I get it." Whitman obeyed. He jumped out of the jeep and asked them, "Are you OK? Ladies?"

Chloe put down her temporary stretcher and anxiously said, "No, no, he is not OK. Do you have any antibiotics?"

"Uh…" Whitman thought about it, "Maybe in the first aid kit in my jeep...Wait … what are you doing?"

Chloe already opened the jeep's back trunk and searched for the kit. She found one and quickly open the zip. Inside there were some bandage, cotton and small bags.

"Thank God!" She took a bag from the kit and ran back to Mark, who was on the ground. "Swallow this pill, please."

Mark swallowed it immediately. Chloe then backed to the first aid kit and started to unwrap the bandages. She used a scissor in the kit to cut open his pants. Mark let out painful cries.

Whitman, Nausica and Maldon just watched her doing medical procedures with curious eyes.

"Amber, help me out." She asked, "Hold his leg here. Be careful, his skin is very fragile."

She put some alcohol on all the burnt area, then started to wrap his feet and lower legs with the bandages. Soon Mark was like wearing a pair of new white boots.

" **Will you marry me?** " Suddenly Mark asked Chloe, which surprised everyone.

Chloe looked around embarrassed, "Stop it. Not now."

"No, I want to know the answer." Mark said, "Will you forgive me? I can be a good husband."

"Like I said, not now." Chloe put her finger on his lips. Then she stood up and showed a hand to Whitman, "Hi, I am Chloe Wu. This is Amber and her brother Mark. "

Whitman shook her hand, "Hi, I am Joe Whitman. Nice to meet you! You seem quite good at the medical stuff. Are you a doctor?"

She looked up at the sky, "I used to be. Now I am just a refugee."

"So where are you guys heading?"

"We are going north to Canada." Chloe replied, "But we are so grateful that you stopped for us."

"Not a problem." Whitman looked sideway at Becca, "Some mighty one wants me to help you. I cannot deny it."

"So glad to meet someone still believe so firmly in God." Amber smiled, "It's quite hard in such a cruel world."

"Yeah, it's very hard." Whitman nodded. _Did God really allow 6.5 billion people died?_

"Well, it's great to meet you guys." Chloe politely said, "Where are you going?"

"As you already know, we are in opposite directions." Whitman said, "We are heading south to Polis."

"Where?" Both women didn't understand.

"Oh, I meant New Metro. Polis is the new name. It's about two days drive. You want to come along? We have a hospital in Polis."

"Hey, old man." Nauscia stepped out of the jeep, "Isn't hitchhiking illegal?"

Amber and Chloe spontaneously jumped back. They exchanged a doubtful look.

"Oh, sorry, let me introduce you." Whitman said, "This little girl is called Nausica. She's from uh… where was it?"

"Windy Valley." Nausica announced proudly.

Chloe pointed out, "But she's an Azgedian."

"Yeah, what's wrong …" Only then Whitman started to understand, "Oh, sorry, you guys are Canadian."

"That's right, old man." Nausica said, "They will try to kill me, then I will kill them."

"No killing." Maldon spoke from inside the jeep, "No killing."

"Shof op, Maldon. Ai laik de Seken, yu nau."

"OK, OK." Whitman had to intervene, "Sorry about that. Yeah, the little brat is right. It's better not put you guys and her in the same car. She's kinda dangerous."

Amber pulled Chloe away, and she spoke with her in a low voice, "Sis, I think we should take the offer."

Chloe was confused, "Why? Those Azgedians killed lots of your fellow Canadian."

"But they were just kids, and it seems the grownup is in control." Amber took a quick look at Whitman, "At the same time, we do need to go to the New Metro. Like he said, they have a hospital there."

Chloe looked at Mark on the stretcher, "You have a point. We could be walking for days without finding anything useful."

"So all we need, is just trying not to kill that girl." Amber said, "Should be easy."

Chloe nodded.


	18. Chapter 18 - Marrying

Revision 1.0

Note:

First, I have a warning for you, this chapter has a brutal sex assault scene. It's a required part for the plot. So I couldn't go around it.

Secondly, thank you so much for reading the book this far! Sincerely appreciate your support for me. I am quite happy to walk this journey with you. Unfortunately the road is almost coming to an end. We only have a couple of chapters left. The whole ending was all set, and I am satisfied with it. I hope you will feel the same.

In the future, I might revive a book called "Diyoza's Tale", but not sure yet. Originally I thought Diyoza's tale was brutal. I didn't expect Book 3 of Becca's Tale just blow it out of the water. There is no way Diyoza's tale can match the scale with this one. However, someone online gave me great ideas about the Diyoza's story. So we will see.

Once again, thank you so much for just being here! Let's finish the rest of the journey!

===#===#===

Under the always dark grey sky, a military jeep was speeding on a highway along the river. Whitman sat in the driver seat tapping his knee impatiently. Maldon was half asleep next to him. Chloe, Amber and Nausica sat in the back row. Mark lied down on the trunk section, groaning with each little bump the jeep passed.

"Are we there yet, grandpa?" Nausica asked again.

"For the millionth time, stop it!" Whitman grumbled, "Really annoying hearing that."

"Hahaha…" Nausica just laughed, like just won a small battle.

"Mr. Whitman." Amber tried to be nice, "I think she is just bored."

"That's right." Nausica admitted it frankly, "I was feeling great, until suddenly I have to share the back seat with two silent nuns, plus a moaning man in the back. Yeah, I am super bored."

"There is enough room for all of us." Amber said, "And the moaning man is my brother."

"Really? Then why he looked so different than you?" Nausica had good observation, "And your hair color is not the same."

"He is my step brother."

"So you are not his real sister."

"I still am."

"Liar!" Nausica pointed at her, "Your face is getting red. Do you really think of him as a brother?"

"Yes, I do." Amber's face was getting pinker.

"Liar liar, pants on fire!" She taunted.

"Can I change my seat with you?" Amber asked, "I cannot take her any more."

Chloe nodded, so she sat next to Nausica.

Nausica observed her with her big eyes, then asked, "Why didn't you say 'yes'?"

"Uh...What?" Chloe wasn't expect it. "Say 'yes' to what?"

"To his marriage proposal, of course." Nausica said. "Are you afraid or what?"

"Hm… I am not afraid." Chloe tried to keep calm, "Just this is not a good time."

"What are you waiting for, Chinese New Year?"

"Are you asking this because I am a Chinese?" Chloe was getting irritated.

"No, this is just a common expression. Get over it." Nausica asked again, "So, when are you going to give him an answer?"

Chloe felt very uncomfortable, "Uh...Like I said, not a good time."

"But it's just a simple Yes or No question." Nausica wouldn't let it go. "We Azgedians never take that long to give an answer."

Chloe felt more and more annoyed, "You don't understand. It needs to be serious."

"Oh, in that case, hey, Mark back there." Nausica twisted her head, "Are you serious about this question?"

"Yes, I am." Mark answered. "I am dead serious about it."

"Do you want the answer right now, right away?"

"Yes, I do."

"There you go." Nausica looked back at her, "Do you want to marry him or not? Seriously."

Chloe rolled her eyes, "Gosh, can someone sit here please?"

Whitman ordered, "Maldon, you go back there."

"Mi?" Maldon didn't pay much attention.

"Ste yu. Bak."

"OK." Maldon crawled to the back, while Chloe crawled to the front.

"Thank you, Mr. Whitman." Chloe said, "And thanks for the warning. She is a little brat, and I do want to strangle her."

"Welcome to the club!" Whitman was glad finally someone shared the same opinion.

"Branwoda!" Nausica teased them, "Yo branwoda!"

Maldon looked around nervously. He knew better not translating it.

Seeing no one had any reaction, Nausica added, "Spichen."

"Hey, hey, young lady…" Whitman had to say something, "Stop that please. I am driving."

"Are we there yet, grandpa?"

"Holll...For the love of God!" Whitman shook his head, "Sometimes I really want to cut your throat."

"Hehehe…." She giggled again.

===#===#===

Sun was setting down in the horizon. The last golden sunlight dyed all the grey clouds into blood-red. Far away, the burning fire of the tower was getting brighter with the darkness creeping down.

Nathalia hiked up to the top of a mountain, and she finally could see the famous "Tower of Light" so many people were talking about.

Her eyes grew round and large. A feeling of ridiculousness impacted her.

"That's the 'Tower of the Light'? Really?" She asked a Second, "Are you absolutely sure?"

The Second nodded, "Yup, that's the one."

"That's impossible!" the Queen exclaimed, "That city should be New Metro, not Polis!"

"Oh, my Queen, that's just the new name of New Metro."

"So that…" She pointed at the tower with a trembling finger, "That city is actually New Metro."

"Yes, my Queen." the Second was puzzled. _Why the Queen cares so much about the city's name?_

"Someone gives me a pair of binoculars." Nathalia ordered, "I need a high magnification one."

With the help of the binoculars, the Queen could see the fine details of the tower. "Yeah, that's the one. No doubt, but it never had fire burning on top before…"

She thought about all the implications for a while, then she gave out a strange order.

"All krus stopped marching, retreat 5 miles and find your place to hide. All Seconds go to the church to meet me."

The Second next to her was perplexed, "My Queen, the city is right there. We can attack them tonight..."

Nathalia's face was dark, "I am still the Queen. Carry out my commands."

"Yes, my Queen." He walked away disgruntledly.

...

After all 5 Seconds gathered in a church at the foot of the mountain, Nathalia stepped in. She looked very disturbed.

"Oso Raz Heiplana!" Everyone saluted her. She just nodded a little.

"My Seconds!" She started to speak, "Just one year ago, I went back to the village, and you allowed me to join the conclave, even though I had no qualification, and was too old. Because all of you believed that I could be the Red Queen. The one the prophecy had predicted two thousand years ago…"

All those 5 Seconds looked at each other bewildered. _What's going on with the Queen? Why she is talking about her conclave?_

"I was lucky to win the fight, but all of you think that was the destiny. And you followed me loyally, because all of you think the prophecy is finally coming true. However, right now I am very confused about the prophecy."

She pointed at the tower's direction, "Because I was already saved in that tower. One year ago, someone rescued me out of that dark dungeon, and I was forever in her debt."

That was something the Queen never revealed to anyone. It was like a bomb exploded in everyone's head. All 5 Seconds were shocked.

Nathalia continued, "So now perhaps the prophecy was already fulfilled, in a strange way."

"What about the revenge?" One of the Seconds asked, "What about the 9 thousand people died by their bomb?"

"Yes, we will definitely avenge them. We will slaughter everyone in that city." The Queen reassured them, "But I have to know exactly who's in that tower, before I can order the attack. The one who saved me might be still there. I cannot allow an attack to kill my savior."

Those 5 Seconds looked at each other. They knew what others were thinking. _The Queen is showing her weakness. She is halting the full frontal assault for just one person. Shall we overthrow her?_

But then again, the power of prophecy prevented them from making the move. No one wanted to break the prophecy, even though it became so strange.

"So tonight we will encamp here." The Queen ordered, "We will catch someone from the city, and I will interrogate him or her to know exactly what happened to that tower."

"Yes, my Queen." Reluctantly they left.

===#===#===

"Why? Why you do this to me, dad?" Helen was crying. Her hands were tied up by chains.

Daniel lowered his head, "I am so sorry, honey. I had no more moves. That devil, Becca, killed off so many of my followers, now I have nobody left, and Ken wants only you."

"No, we can still go together, dad." Helen begged him, "Just you and me, like the old days, remember?"

Daniel bowed down and cried. He was very conflicted himself.

"Please, daddy, save me." She cried too, "Daddy, save me."

He put his hand on his face. Tears came out between fingers.

After a while, he stood up and said, "I am so sorry, honey." He ran upstairs and disappeared.

"DADDY!" She screamed, "DADDY!"

"There is no use." A voice came out from the darkness, "So many girls screamed here before. None of them could escape."

"No, Ken, please don't." Helen tried to shrink back, but the metal chain kept her hands and legs apart.

"Don't do what?" Ken appeared in front of her, "Do you know what I want to do with you?"

"Please, Ken, we're friends." Helen tried hard to tug the chains, but it wouldn't budge, "You used to like my dishes."

"Yeah, I did." Ken put his hand on her teary cheek, "I really wanted to be your friend, I wanted you to like me, but you treat me like shit!" He hit his fist on the wall. The wall trembled and some dust went down.

"I am so sorry! I won't. From now on I won't" Helen pleaded him, "I will be your best friend. I will listen to you."

"It's too late now, Helen." Ken sneered, "You are in this garage. You know what it means when you are here all chained up."

"I know, but please please don't do it." Helen was extremely scared. She remembered all the terrible things that happened there, including her best friend Lola. "I don't want to die."

Ken leered like a snake, "You are scared now? Where is the Helen who wants to cut my dick off? Where is the Helen that sent away the MILF? Where is the fucking Helen who looks at me like I am piece of shit?!"

Helen turned her face away. Eyes closed.

He took out a shiny knife, "Today we will have some fun. Starting with your shirt. No, it doesn't look good on you."

He swung the knife up. Helen's shirt was cut opened like butter. He yanked it away.

"Wow, look at you." Ken was surprised, "Since when you start wearing bras? No, no, no, it definitely needs to go too."

The knife was quite sharp. Helen could feel the cold blade. Her body was all rigid. She couldn't even scream.

"Good girl, now let me take a look at you." Ken observed her upper body carefully, "Wow, your nipples do look like little cherries. Like I said before, you should be very delicious."

Some heavy thump sound came from the street. Ken listened to that, then sighed, "Must be some drunkards. Let's continue, shall we?"

He put his knife to her pants and moved slowly, "Do you feel it? Do you like the edges? Do you feel the high of the danger?"

Indeed, Helen could feel it. A strange feeling surrounded her, making her not able to move. Her whole body trembled with a strange sensation.

"Yeah, you feel it." Ken said, "It's not so bad, right?"

Helen couldn't say anything. All her muscles were contracting with tension.

A swing came down, Helen's pants were easily cut opened. Ken quickly used his knife to remove the rest of her clothing.

"Ha! Now you have nothing to hide." Ken stepped back and admired the view. "I have been with so many girls, but if I give you a score…hmm… Your body can definitely get a nine. You just need to grow a little more meat… then you are perfect."

He got close and put his face against her, "Gosh, I want you to know, I have been waiting for this moment for so long… Your dad is really piece of work."

Helen was trying to dodge his face, but when she heard him talking about her father, she turned her face to him.

"Yeah, he always knows what I want, but he always delayed it, and delayed it. Until I finally told him, it's either his life, or your virginity. He didn't hesitate." Ken sneered, "He only asked me, 'Take your time, have fun, but please don't kill her...blah...blah...blah...'."

Ken put his knife on her face, "I don't know, Helen. You are so tempting. I might lose control and not be able to keep my promise…"

 **THUMP…GROMMMM…**

Someone fell down the stairs. It was Daniel Graham. He had a blood spot in his chest. Red area was spreading out.

At that moment, Helen was completely frozen. She stared at her father's body not blinking.

"What the hell?" Ken moved back and looked up, "Something is happening upstairs."

Then someone was crying out in pain. Several guys started yelling.

"Becca?!" Ken was mad, "At this fucking time?!" He ran up stairs.

There were fierce fighting happening up there. Helen could hear the clinking sound of blades hitting others, she could hear heavy bodies punched down to the floor one after another, and she could hear a gunshot from far away.

After everything was quiet, she gradually found her mind back to the current situation.

She was naked and chained up to the garage wall.

No one outside knew her face. She always wore radiation suits.

Becca, her enemy, was leading a team here to kill all Second Dawn members. If they knew she was also a Second Dawn, they would kill her too.

So to survive, she had to pretend to be a victim.

 **AAHHHHH….** She started screaming.

( For the rest of Helen's story, please read Becca's Tale - Book Two )

===#===#===

"Hey, are you OK?" Becca asked.

Whitman shook his head. The dream last night was too much, even for him.

"You don't want to talk about it, right?"

Whitman heavily shook his head, then he said, "But I want to talk to Helen. Is she still in hiding?"

"She is not hiding." Becca answered, "She has been watching you for days now."

"Could you teach her the way to close down her memories?" Whitman asked, "They belong only to her. No one should see them."

"She knows how to do it." Becca said, "But she still keep them open for you."

Whitman was shocked, _Helen herself wanted me to see everything!_

He then spoke to her, "Helen, thank you so much for sharing your memories with me, even though they are extremely painful and disturbing. You lived through all that and you still became a strong Commander. You chose to follow Becca, and gave up the revenge for your father. That must have been a very difficult decision to make. I am so proud of you, girl. I am so proud of you!"

He and Becca could hear some crying deep down in his brain.

Only then Whitman looked around and saw all ten eyes focused on him. "What? I am always like this. You don't know?"

"Yup, I've seen it so many times." Nausica said, "Told you guys. He's a crazy old man."

He shook his head and started his jeep again.

...

Whitman's jeep was stopped by a big lot in the middle of the road.

He stepped out, and found himself surrounded by twenty Azgedians aiming arrows at him.

"HOP OP!" Nausica came out and spoke to them with her powerful voice, "Oso este lukot."

Those archers exchanged very doubtful looks.

Nausica shouted out, "Yo sen mi in? Ai laik de Seken!" She took out her knife.

The Azgedians put down their weapons. Nausica put her knife back and started talking in their language. She obviously was surprised by something.

When she came back to him, she looked strange, avoiding Whitman's eyes.

"What's the news, little girl?" He asked. "Why are your friends here?"

She didn't answer that, instead a question, "Yesterday after you saw the mountains were on fire, why you still went down this road?"

"This road has no fire, right?" Whitman said, "And it's the quickest route. What's wrong with this road?"

"You could cross the bridge first, then go south, why didn't you do it?" She asked again.

"What a strange question you are asking!" Whitman couldn't understand, "I am the one who's driving, I can go any route I want."

"Exactly!" Nausica exclaimed, "That's why I really don't understand. Why you still go this way?"

 _This girl is suddenly out of her mind._ Whitman shook his head.

"Well, the matter is…" Nausica hesitated to say it, "Now all of you are my prisoners. Don't try to do anything, or they will shoot poison arrows at you. One scratch, and you will be dead."

 _The Fuck?!_ Whitman's mouth opened wide.

===#===#===

"Nauscia ste bak!" someone announced, "En em der honon."

The little girl came up and saluted her, "Oso Heiplana!"

The Queen nodded to her, "Good to see you back! Who are those prisoners?"

There were three prisoners being escorted into the church. Their arms were tightly bound by ropes. Their mouths were gagged. Then a stretcher was carried in with some young boy on it. His legs were wrapped in white bandages. Some spots were permeated with blood and pus.

Nausica pointed to one of the prisoners, "This is Whitman and Becca, you already know."

She pointed to two girls, "Those are two bitches competing for the playboy on the ground."

"nnnnn…." Amber was trying to object, but she couldn't say anything.

"Wow, the boy IS handsome." The Queen took a good look at him. "Just too blonde and too young for me."

Then she asked again, "So did you find a cure for our people?"

Nausica raised her head, "Yes, I did."

"So Maldon is alive?"

"No only Maldon, I also have the same cure, and I am fine."

The Queen was surprised, "You were taking a big risk. What if they give you poison, instead of a cure?"

"I…uh…" Nausica hesitated, "I trusted them at that time."

Nathalia had a little smile, "Oww...You are still too young. Too easy to trust others."

"Sorry, my Queen." She bowed down, "But I still have lots of doubts about what happened in the past few days."

"You didn't hear from them?" The Queen pointed at other Seconds, "Becca dropped a nuclear bomb on all of us. We are lucky to be alive."

"Yes, I heard it, but Becca herself cannot drop any bombs, she need ALIE, the AI to do it."

"Yes, that's what Becca said before."

"But in the island, we found out that ALIE was in a jail. She couldn't control anything." Nausica said sincerely, "Then how did they drop the bomb on us?"

"Hm…Interesting…" the Queen thought it over, "Then it only means Becca just lied to all of us, even on that little detail. She could control the bombs without the AI. We all saw how she dropped a regular bomb that day."

"nnnnn….." Whitman was trying hard to say something, but he couldn't.

Nausica kept questioning, "Then if she really dropped that bomb, Becca should have warned him, and he should have gone a different road. Yet he put himself in great danger coming directly here. Why?"

"Maybe he thought all of us were dead with that bomb?" Nathalia supposed, then she denied it herself, "No, Becca should be smarter than that. What you said really raise big questions."

She rose up, "But no matter, we will revenge our 9 thousand fallen heroes by attacking Polis. We are just waiting for one last piece of important information."

"Which is?" Nausica asked.

"I want to know someone named Helen Graham. I want to find out where she is now."

"Helen? Maybe we can ask Whitman here?" Nausica suggested, and Whitman was moving his head up and down dramatically.

"No, I cannot trust him and Becca any more. Last time we trust them, we lost 9 thousand people."

"nnnnn…." Whitman struggled and tried to speak, only being kicked in his stomach.

"Hm…Those prisoners are from Canada, so they wouldn't know anything either." Nausica analyzed, "Maybe I should take them out…"

Suddenly the only prisoner who was not gagged, the handsome man on the ground, spoke, "Are you guys really going to kill all citizens of Polis for revenge?"

Nathalia nodded, "Yes, dear boy. We are going to do it."

"nnnnn…" Chloe tried hard to speak, but she couldn't.

"But Polis didn't drop the bomb on you." He said, "I did."

 _What?!_ Everyone in the church was shocked, except Amber and Chloe.

"nnnnn…." Chloe was still struggling. A tear ran down her cheek.

Mark took a deep breath, then spoke, "I was the one who contacted the Ark, and asked them to drop a nuclear bomb on you. And they did. So actually I was the one who killed all 9 thousands of you. If you want to take revenge, kill me, torture me, do whatever you want with me, but citizen of Polis are innocent. They didn't do anything to you."

Chloe stopped her moving and looked at him with tears dropping down like rivers.

 **PAPAPA….** Nathalia applauded, "Such a beautiful speech! One sacrifices himself to save thousands. And your girlfriend's reaction is so real! My goodness! Either you are lying, and she should get an Oscar for best acting, or you are telling the truth, and she was just being her?"

She said, "Now you give me another headache, what should I do with you?"

She walked back and forth, then asked Mark, "Who did you say dropped the bomb?"

"The Ark, the sky people." Mark answered, "Do you see the tiny ring in the night sky? That's them."

"How did you even contacted them?" Nathalia was doubtful.

"I was from the Ark. They gave us a bracelet. A boy use that bracelet to send signals to them."

"So where is the bracelet, and where is the boy?" The Queen asked, "Can you show me?"

Mark was baffled. He got neither.

"Then how do I trust you, pretty boy?" Nathalia looked at him with icy eyes, "Do you have any proof?"

Mark shook his head slowly.

"Do you know what we will do to someone tries to deceive the Heiplana?" She said, "You will not be pretty after that."

"Please give me one minute!" Mark said it nervously, "I just need one, please."

"What do you want to do?" She agreed, "Yeah, I give you five. Go ahead."

Mark turned to Chloe, " **Will you marry me?** "

Chloe gazed on him with complicated emotions.

"There is never a good time." Mark said, "And I am running out of it. So please answer me, you can just nod."

Chloe nodded hard.

Mark had a smile, "See? It's quite easy, right? Do you want to marry me right here, right now?"

Chloe nodded hard.

Mark started the oath, "Will you Chloe Wu, marry me, Mark Trudeau, to be my wife, in sickness or in health, for better or worse, til death do we part? Gosh, I couldn't remember the whole thing."

Chloe nodded hard.

"Now you see?" Mark said, "Wedding is easy too. You just nodded your head, and now you are my wife, and I your husband, I love you forever!" He tried to get close to Chloe but was immediately shoved down.

 **PAPAPA….** Nathalia, Nauscia and all 5 Seconds started the applause. Then every Azgedians in the church did the same. The thundering sound echoed in the whole church.


	19. Chapter 19 - End

Revision 1.0

===#===#===

After months of dark nights, the moon finally showed her pale face behind layers of thick clouds, spreading faint silvery lights across the whole mountain. At the foot of the hill there was a church with white walls and an iron cross. Inside the church, there were over a hundred Azgedian, who just witnessed an instant wedding between Chloe Wu and Mark Trudeau. Most of them didn't even know what "Wedding" meant, but still they applauded loudly with their Queen.

"So touching!" Nathalia said, "I wish I could give you guys a blessing and a honeymoon, but you are my prisoners. So it's too bad…"

Then she saw someone running in and stopped her words.

"Heiplana! Oso tro op teik won honon."

"Este daun?" the Queen seemed glad, "Teik em nir."

After 5 minutes, a girl about 25 year old walked in with hands tied. She had mostly golden hair, except some dyed red ones at the edge. She wore black leather pants and dark leather coat, making her look grim.

A Second reported, "Our troops found her wandering nearby. So we took her here. She claimed she was the death god sent by the Polis."

"Ha, you think you are the Wanheda?" the Queen spoke with sarcasm.

"Yes, I AM the Wanheda!" the Flame Keeper, Clarke, appeared to be fearless, "I am here to kill all of you!"

"Funny!" the Queen smiled, "Are you guys so afraid that you are all out of your minds?"

"Oh, I see. You are the Red Queen everyone is talking about." Clarke glared at her with contempt, "You just have some dark skin, nothing special."

Nathalia snapped her fingers. A warrior hit Clarke with a hammer.

"Ouch…" She bent down and held her side, "You guys are so rude!"

Nausica scolded her, "You need to learn some respect, or the next one will break your bones."

Clarke raised her hands, "Alright, alright. I will cooperate, what do you want to know?"

Nathalia asked, "Who is in that tower now?"

"Flame Keepers like me." She replied, "The tower is ours now."

"So what happened to the Second Dawn?"

Clarke's eyes enlarged, "Wow, how do you even know the Second Dawn?" She looked at the Queen curiously, "Were you there before?"

"Answer the question!" Nausica kicked her side right at the wound.

"Ouch…You little bitch!" Clarke gave her an angry look. "You will feel my almighty revenge."

Nathalia was getting impatient, "Answer me, what happened to the Second Dawn?"

"They all died in that battle, of course. Our Savior, Becca led the charge." Clarke said, "You can ask him." She pointed at Whitman.

Whitman felt a chill through his spine. Nathalia looked at him with icy cold eyes.

"Any survivors?" She asked, "Or anyone escaped before that battle?"

"Yeah, there was one. The crazy girl Helen."

Nathalia's eyes suddenly lit up, "What did you say?"

"What? You want to know about her?" Clarke saw her concern, "Come close to me."

"Is she 15 years old?" Nathalia asked eagerly.

"Ah, yeah, with red hair and snow-white skin. That's her. Come here. Let me tell you some secrets about her."

Nathalia stood up and walked to Clarke.

"Closer." She insisted, "I won't bite."

The Queen bent down to her, and she put her mouth near her ear, then said, "Helen, the crazy girl. We all know her. She was our Second Commander for a few months. Then in the conclave, she killed Bryan, then Whitman there killed her. She's dead now. You happy?"

Nathalia fell down to the ground.

Clarke laughed like a maniac, "You are all going to die! Each and every one of you! I will wait for you in hell!"

Nausica made a cutting-throat gesture. A warrior swung his blade, and Clarke's head flew up with blood staining the white wall.

"Geez, this girl really has some issues." Nausica said, then she saw her Queen was not moving, "My Queen, are you OK?"

"She's dead." Nathalia murmured, "She's dead." She looked like she was losing her mind temporarily.

After a while, she looked at Whitman angrily, "You FUCKING killed her!" She took the blade, which was still red after cutting off Clarke's head, and put it on his neck.

"nnnnnn….." Whitman was trying very hard to speak, but he couldn't.

"Have something to say?" Nathalia stared at him like a hungry tigress, "So say your last word." She yanked away his gag.

"Helen is still here." Whitman hurriedly yapped. "She...she is... still in my brain."

"What?!" the Queen was confused at first, then she gradually understood. "Your brain has Helen's soul, like Becca?"

Whitman nodded again and again.

"I don't believe you." Nathalia said, "You tricked me before. You want to do that again."

"Helen, please help me!" Whitman begged the air, "If she killed me, you will die too."

Nathalia froze. The blade was still on his neck, but she couldn't slash it.

"What?" Whitman said, "I cannot let you control my body. No. Why you want to do that?"

Everyone looked at Whitman, thinking he was delusional. Only Nausica was not surprised.

"Alright, alright. I give you the control. You happy?" Whitman grunted, "How do I even start?"

His body twisted and moved left and right, then he fell to the floor. The Queen had to pull the blade away fast to avoid cutting him.

Just when they wondering what happened to Whitman, he rose in a different way.

"Hey, Scarlett." He said, "It's been a while. How's your cutting technique?"

To everyone's surprise, Nathalia hugged him. "Helen, I missed you so much!"

"Sorry, but I didn't." Whitman said, "A lot had happened after you left."

"I know, I know." Nathalia wiped a tear from her cheek, "But I always think of you. I worried about what would happen to you. Now I know."

"No, no, you don't know what happened to me." Whitman said, "No one knows, not even Becca."

Then he lashed out at the air, "Shut up, Becca! Can't you see I have a moment with her here?"

Nathalia said, "Now I found you. Tell me what you need. Anything I can do for you?"

"You really want to do something for me?" Whitman asked, "Are you sure about that?"

Nathalia nodded heavily.

"Then give up your revenge." Whitman said, "I gave up mine. You should do the same."

The Queen looked straight at his eyes and asked, "Is this another trick of yours? Becca, you want to trick me into giving up the battle?"

"No tricks." Whitman said, "I am not that little girl any more. 'The Dead is Dead, and the Living is Hungry'. Revenge will not give you anything back."

"Now I see." Nathalia had a bitter sneer. "Even you are brainwashed by Becca now. Forget about it. There is no way you can persuade me. We Azgedians has a similar saying to your 'Blood must have the same blood'. We say 'Jus Drein jus Daun'. That's all we are here for."

Whitman sighed, "Then you just leave me no choice…"

He suddenly jumped at the blade Nathalia was holding. The Queen was surprised and quickly pulled the weapon back. It cut cross Whitman's arm, and also the bounding ropes.

Blood went down Whitman's arms. He looked at both his freed hands, "Wow, I haven't felt so alive for some time..."

A warrior swung his hammer at Whitman. In the midway, he fell down to the ground by Whitman's kick to his knee, and his hammer was in Whitman's hand. It happened so quickly that few could see the moves.

"Damned! This body is slow." Whitman complained, "You should have done more exercises, old man."

Then he swung the hammer toward Nathalia. She raised her blade to block it. The hammer changed direction and slammed on her wrist, making her unable to hold the blade.

The blade dropped to Whitman's hand, then smoothly moved next to Nathalia's neck.

All Azgedian warriors pulled out their weapons. The church was suddenly very quiet.

Whitman twisted his head and asked, "So Scarlett, this is what you are going to repay me?" He raised his hammer with the other hand toward the crowd, "You want a dance to the death with me?"

"Hop op!" The Queen shouted, "Oso ban en au."

"Heiplana!" Someone was not so happy.

Holding an injured wrist, Nathalia calmly said to Whitman, "Helen, I let you go this time. Now we are even. If you showed up in Polis, I have no choice but to kill you."

"Duly noted." Whitman said, "Scarlett, you need to practice your cutting techniques. You are getting slow."

...

After all the Azgedian left, Mark and Whitman started to untie everyone.

The first thing Chloe did, was embracing her man tightly. They kissed like never before.

The second thing Chloe did, was giving the same man a hard slap in the face, "How could you do this to me?"

Mark was dizzied by her sudden changes, "I am really, really sorry!" He apologized, "I just want to marry you before I die."

"No, no, the wedding is fine, I love it." She said, "It's in a church before witnesses, so it counts."

"Uh..."

"But I hate that you put yourself in danger, again!" She scolded him, "How many times do I have to worry about your life? I don't want a marriage that last only 5 minutes."

"I am sorry! I get it. I get it." He said, "Like you said before, we just leave here. We'll go somewhere that have no fighting or war. We will have our own peace, for the rest of our lives. Do you like it?"

"No more war, no more revenge. You promise that?" Chloe asked very seriously.

"Yes, I swear." Mark put up three fingers, "Scout's honor!"

Chloe nodded, "That's more like it."

Amber came up and hugged them both, "Congratulations! Your wedding was so touching!"

Chloe smiled, "Thank you for being here! It means a lot!"

"So now what you guys plan to do?" Whitman asked. "I don't suggest you to go to Polis any more."

Chloe holding Mark's waist, "We will take a boat in the river and going east. I saw one on the way here. Maybe you can drive us there? Mark here cannot move very well."

"Sure thing." Whitman said, "Now all those Azgedians are gone. I think we can just go back to the jeep and start driving again."

Amber asked, "What about you? You have any plans?"

Whitman shook his head, "Not yet, but I am not worried. I have Becca and Helen here to help me." He made a grimace, "Now I think it's great to have 2 ladies in my head."

"Yeah, I envy you." Mark said, "One can think, and one can fight."

"But yours is better." Whitman said, "She can love."

Mark and Chloe looked at each other and smiled again.

===#===#===

A large army of 8000 marched toward the Polis, all of them were trying to be quiet, but there were more and more coughing and groaning. Some stopped and vomit on the side.

By the time the army were within the reached the perimeter of the Mega Tower, the Sun already rose up. Morning sunlight illuminated everything. To their surprise, the whole city of Polis seemed empty. Even the tower looked deserted.

Nathalia had some difficulty breathing. Her head felt like a thousand needles poking in. Her whole body were boiling hot. She coughed some blood out.

 _What's wrong with me?_ Then she remembered the "Wanheda" girl who claimed to kill them all. Suddenly she realized what happened.

She immediately stopped the troop, ordered all krus keep distance with others, and whoever had symptoms went to the front.

"Azgedian, ZOG EM RAUN!" Her blade pointed at the 50-floor building.

Even coughing blood, those Azgedians still ran like crazy bulls charging at the tower.

The building started had some people moving around. For the first 100 yards of running, they encountered no resistance, but once they were within 50 yards range of a metal wall, large oil barrels started to fly at them and exploded into fiery hells around 30 feet diameter each.

Many Azgedians caught fire. Some burnt alive and fell down, but more were still charging with flame over their bodies.

In the last 10 yards the ground were suddenly collapsed, they fell into shallow pits with metal spikes pointing up. Some of them got impaled. Some of them had legs or arms pierced through.

The first wave of 200 lost their lives quickly, but that was expected. They were the ones who needed to be sacrificed to find out what kind of defense the city had.

So the second wave were composed of warriors holding large metal boards above their heads. They huddled together and moved much slower than the first wave.

Oil barrels still rained down, but they would not break through the metal boards. They could burn the board for a while, but couldn't harm anyone.

Once the group reached the spiking pits. They threw the boards on top and stepped over them.

In front of them, was a long metal wall consist of iron rods, station seats and lots of metallic scrap.

Polis people rose behind the metal wall and threw spears, hammers, knives, and all kinds of home improvement things at the charging Azgedians. It was effective at first, but then other Azgedians started using bodies as shield and started climbing the wall.

 **PANG...PANG…** Gunshots echoed in the city. 10 more Azgedians fell down, but then the guns were silent.

The second wave was struggling, but the third wave of Azgedians already on their way. That time they had much less resistance. Before they reached the wall, a concentrated rain of arrows shot from Azgedian archers helped killed off some Polisians who were defending the wall. The defense line had a little chaos, but then some Azgedian warriors already managed to climb on top of the wall.

Many alcohol bottles flew at them and turned them into burning men. The metal wall itself started burning. From the tower, people threw oil barrels down directly at the wall, making the fire even larger.

Azgedian warriors started to run into buildings of the street and tried to go up, but there were all sorts of booby traps waiting for them. Many citizens of Polis came out of the hiding place and gave them a close fight. Azgedians were bigger and stronger, but inside those buildings their size became a disadvantage. Their poison arrows had very limited use inside the buildings. Very soon the third wave was eliminated.

The fourth wave had to retreat when they lost more than half of them, and no way to pass the burning wall.

...

Holding her splitting head, Nathalia watched the futile assaults with anger. She hadn't expect Polis would put up a fierce resistance like that. More than 800 Azgedian already lost their lives. And she and her Seconds were all severely sick, except Nausica.

It was hard to think with a high fever, but Nathalia knew the army must have a leader. So she gave Nausica all the authority to direct her krus.

"But my Queen…" She seemed deeply concerned, "You are so sick! We need to find a cure for you first."

"No...You charge…" Nathalia struggled to speak, "I hate them... You tell all our krus to charge... kill everyone in Polis."

"Yes, my Queen." She left.

Nathalia fell down to her bed, curling up in pain. Blood was coming out from her nose.

…

"What the hell?" through binoculars Atom saw an Azgedian girl holding a white flag walking toward the burning wall. "That is the little Azgedian girl we met before."

"Really?" Ethan took over the binoculars and watched her, "Yup, that's her. What does she want? We already are at war."

He thought about it, then said, "Send my order. Don't attack her. I and she need a talk."

…

"Hi, Nausica, we meet again." Ethan greeted her. "I should have kept you as the hostage last time."

"Yeah, you are not that smart." Nausica said, "So now here we are, in two different sides. And I still have an overwhelming number."

"Really?" Ethan asked, "Then where is your Queen?"

"She's fine." Nausica lied, "She sent me to negotiate with you, because she is still merciful. If you leave the city now, we will give you safe passage."

"Let me think about it." Ethan pretended, "Nah, we are fine right here. Thanks for the offer, though."

Nausica said, "Your little virus plan is ingenious. But we still had over 6000 Azgedians that can still fight. If the Queen orders them for a full attack, all of you will die. Do you really want that?"

"Then why didn't she give the order already?" Ethan saw through her, "I didn't expect we will live through this. We just want to fight to the last man."

"What is more important than the lives of your people?" Nausica frowned, "This is just a tower. Why do you have to stay in it?"

"This tower is the hope of our future." Ethan said, "The light brought everyone here, and we cured them and gave them new lives on this land. That was what Becca had promised to them. So we cannot leave it. Leaving it only means breaking the promise and losing hope. I don't know you Azgedians, but we humans don't want to live without hope."

"What is the use of hope, when everyone is dead?" Nausica asked, "Wouldn't it be smarter to survive first, then find your hope later?"

"You have a point, but I can also ask you the same question." Ethan rebutted, "Wouldn't it be smarter to share, instead of killing and occupying?"

Nausica thought about his question. "Hm… Let me report back to the Queen. We will see."

"Give her my regards, if she is still alive." Ethan sneered.

...

At midnight, a jeep went through the barricades and stopped in the middle of the whole camp. Whitman stepped out. Hundreds of warriors already surrounded him, and thousands were looking at him hostilely.

 _Once again, I am trusting you with my life, Becca._ Whitman told himself _I don't know how you can get out of this, but I am trusting you._

He raised his hands and shouted, "Ai laik Whitman kom Maunon, en ai gaf Nausica de Seken in."

...

"My God, old man, do you have a death wish?" Nausica was surprised to see him.

They were in an abandoned house. Whitman could hear moaning from the other rooms. He saw a lot of sick people on the way.

"No, little girl, I came here to see you, by the request of Becca, of course." He nervously looked at his side, where some warriors were holding weapons pointing at him.

"What do you want, say it. I am busy." Nausica couldn't look at him directly.

Whitman said it for Becca, "I know right now the Queen and all of your Seconds were sick. They will last probably only 2 days, then all your people will fall down one after another. In just one week, all of you will die, perhaps only Maldon and you will survive."

"Thanks for telling me this." Nausica's face was cold, "So what is your proposal?"

"I know it was Ethan who made the virus, and I know how he did it, so I am offering a cure for all your people. Do you want it?"

"Of course I want it, but how?"

"I just use the gene modder in the tower...Wait...Becca, you knew the gene modder is in the tower? Why didn't you tell me before?" He continued to argue with air, "You knew it the day we stepped out of the hospital? Wow, that's really great! I was looking all over for it…"

"Hey, you two stop!" Nausica scolded them, "You are here to negotiate with me, not argue with yourselves."

"Oh, sorry, I was totally blind-sided." Whitman said, "I just can't believe she kept this from me."

"Now you know. Get over it." Nausica said, "So Becca, you say you can use the gene modder to heal all of us?"

"Yes, but only if I can do it now. This virus is vicious. We need to do it quickly."

"So what do you want in return?"

"The same thing I asked for last time, peace."

Nausica shot him a surprise look, "PEACE? Really? After you had killed 9000 of us?" She pointed at the warriors around, "If I tell them to make peace, they will kill me instantly. All of them lost their friends and family by your nuclear bomb. Every Azgedian is thirsty for blood, and you still think peace is possible?"

"Yes, I still believe so." Whitman nodded slowly, "You know in your heart that I was not the one who dropped the bomb. It was the space people."

"Yeah, very convenient!" Nausica said, "They are hiding in the sky, so you can blamed everything on them."

Whitman said, "But still, it's the truth, and you know it. I believe once all your people learn this fact, they will realize they are going after the wrong people. And they will agree on a truce."

"How about your people?" Nausica asked, "We killed everyone in DC area. All the women, children and elders. You think your people will just let it go?"

Whitman shook his head, "I don't know, but I will try my best. I believe in them. They will make the right decision."

Nausica thought about it, and asked, "Don't you think this kind of peace is too fragile, too easy to break?"

"But it still worth a try." Whitman said for Becca, "We have to give it a chance. I and Whitman here are willing to give our lives for it."

She lowered her head, "This is too big. I have to talk to my Queen about it."

"You Queen cannot think straight now." Whitman said, "You are the only leader who can make the right decision, for all of us."

"But she's still my Queen." She said, "The last order she gave me, is to attack Polis at all cost."

"Yet you are holding off this order, because you know it's not the right decision." Whitman said it sincerely, "You know it deep in your heart that, once you carry it out, there will be no turning back. Ethan will destroy the gene modder. It will be a zero sum game. No one will survive after it."

Nausica froze. She had the same worries.

"So Nausica of Windy Valley, now you are the one who will determine all of our fate. What do you say?" Whitman extended his hand, "Live together in peace, or die together in war?"

===#===#===

The next morning, Atom saw a very strange scene from the binoculars.

Whitman and Nausica held hands and walked toward the tower, a long line of Azgedians following them. All of them were unarmed.

"Tell others to lower their weapons, quick!" Atom ordered everyone, "That's our Commander, for God's sake!"

...

The wall was pulled aside, Whitman and Nausica walked through the opening, followed by other Azgedians. Many angry eyes stared at each other, but no one did anything.

Ethan stood in front of the building and welcome them both. "So glad to see you two again!"

Whitman slapped him hard in the face, **PAAAA...** "Use my gene modder as bio-weaponry! You bad boy!"

Ethan held his red face, "Yeah, I deserved that."

Nausica spit on him.

The Azgedian followed them spit on him as well.

Just Ethan was wondering what happened. The one after that also spit at him.

Ethan had to run away, before his little head was full of saliva.

Right there in the square Whitman announced the truce between Azgedians and the Polisians. Most of the citizens were not happy, but their leaders chose to obey the Commander.

...

Nicole watched Whitman coming close. She grinned, "Hi, I knew you will come back."

Whitman hugged her, "Can't leave this city. Becca wouldn't allow it."

Nicole looked into his eyes, "How about you? Do you want to stay here?"

Whitman looked around, avoiding her eyes, "Hm… I don't know. I still have a wife and a son back in the Mount Weather. They are perfectly safe there."

"I understand, big guy." Nicole had a little laugh, "But you still can come back here from time to time, right? You have a jeep!"

Whitman nodded, "Yeah, that's true."

"When you have some time later." Nicole asked, "Could you let Becca take a look at my baby?" She rubbed her stomach. It didn't show much, but it was there.

Whitman's eyes grew big, "That's Bryan's?"

"Of course, who else do you think?" Nicole said, "I hope Becca can make a serum to help my baby survive this time."

"Yeah, yeah, Becca said she promises you by her soul. She will fix all those 7000 Azgedians and your baby at the same time."

"Then I had nothing to worry about." Nicole was very optimistic.

…

7 days later, on the top floor of the Mega Tower, a large funeral pyre was built. The Red Queen, Nathalia, was on top of it. She looked serene and peaceful.

It was Nausica who lit the fire. The whole pyre rose a bright flame that could be seen a hundred miles away.

"I wish she found the 'wigod' here in the afterlife." Nausica said with sadness, "I wish there were another way."

Whitman patted her back, "One died and thousands live. That should be a good salvation for her."

With emotional music, an Azgedian girl started to sing:

 **Pas skaikrasha** ( After the storm )  
 **Klin tristraka** ( A lightning flash )  
 **En houd don gon** ( With all the world )  
 **Hosh trashsaka** ( Reduced to ash )

 **Yumi na teik** ( And will you take )  
 **Won sonraun au?** ( A life with me? )  
 **Houd na fleim daun** ( This world will burn )  
 **Bed' ge jok au** ( Save what you need )

 **Ai nou fir raun** ( I am fearless )  
 **Ai mana jomp in** ( I aim to fight )  
 **Ai mana wan op** ( I aim to die )  
 **Ai don sin y'in** ( You're in my sight )

 **Yumi na teik** ( And will you take )  
 **Won sonraun au?** ( A life with me? )  
 **Jus drein jus daun** ( Blood must have blood )  
 **Ai medo drein au** ( My body bleeds )

Nausica sang along with the song. Her tears dropped down, "That was her favorite song."

"Yeah, Helen said that too." Whitman put his hand on her shoulder. "Don't feel bad about it any more. Like the song says, that is a life we took together."

She nodded and leaned her head to Whitman's wide shoulder, "What should we do now, old man?"

Whitman said, "As Becca suggested, we will welcome all Azgedians as part of our coalition. You and I will be the co-leader, until we both died. We will learn your language, and you will learn ours. She hopes in this way, we will have a long lasting peace on this land."

"That sounds great!" Nausica smiled, "Peace sounds pretty good, but we still have 7 thousand, you only have 3. Once we join you. Your culture will be severely impacted by us. We have larger numbers, after all."

Whitman shook his head, "I don't care in the end we all speak Azgedian. I just want all of us to live without fear. That's what Becca always wanted."

Nausica nodded, "Yes, that's all we wanted."

The sun finally came out among the clouds first time in years. The golden rays shone upon the endless land, bringing warmth to the cold cruel world. Looking at the bright lights piercing through the thick dark clouds, everyone suddenly had a new hope.

===#===#===

( The following is just an extra scene, like a teaser in a Marvel movie)

The jail gate was open. Someone called out at him, "Mr. Jaha, you can go now."

"What? Just like this?" Jaha was astonished, "You guys are not floating me?"

"Of course not." The prison guard said, "We have a general amnesty. Everyone in jail will be pardoned."

"Why? What happened?"

"I guess you still haven't seen Becca's video." the guard answered, "You should go watch it. I did it a hundred times. It really helps."

"Becca?" Jaha was perplexed, "She is still alive?"

"Apparently. Even your nuclear warhead didn't kill her." he replied, "Somehow she's still alive here, watching us and giving her blessing."

"My Goodness! I got to see the video myself." Jaha walked out of the guard station quickly. There he saw the the streets were being cleaned. Broken pipes were being patched up. Everyone was working and talking. The Zombie Nation was gone.

Micheal Jaha smiled from the bottom of his heart, "Well, it doesn't matter. She saved us already."

===#===#===

( This is the second bonus scene, I am sorry, but too many loose ends.)

It happened sometime after the first battle of Mega Tower. Ten families were starting to rebuild homes in New Metro. They planted crops and vegetables in the open fields. They no longer needed to always watch their backs for any Second Dawn cannibals.

In an abandoned house, Becca and her followers refurbished it so two families could have a temporary home together. The attic was Becca's room.

"I have to kill her, I have to kill her..." Helen murmured to herself, while she held a ceramic pot carefully and walked up.

On the top floor she saw Becca was watching a burning candle absentmindedly. She didn't even notice Helen was walking in.

 _Perfect! Now there is only you in the whole house. No one will know it is me who poisoned you._

Helen slowly put down her pot on a table and say, "Hi, Becca, I made a special soup for you. Try it!"

Becca's mind was back to the present, and she smiled at her, "Oh, thank you Helen! That's so nice of you!"

"Don't mention it." Helen had a little sneer, "I used to work in a kitchen. A little meaty soup is my specialty."

Becca couldn't help saying, "You are such a nice girl! I wish I could be more like you when I was little."

"Oh, thanks!" Helen replied politely, then asked, "What is that candle for?"

"It's for my father." Becca looked at the little dancing flame, "Today is his birthday."

"Oh..." Helen didn't expected it, and she asked, "Do you miss him?"

"Yes, I do." Becca sighed, "But I had hated him for twenty years."

Helen never heard Becca talked about her father before. She was intrigued. "What did he do? Did he do something bad to you?"

Becca shook her head, "No, he just wanted to give me the best education in the world, but I hated it. At that time I only want to be with my mother. So I ran away over and over. Each time he would hire someone to catch me and put me back to the damned school. It happened many times in my childhood. I never appreciated what he did for me..." Then she faced Helen and asked, "Do you have a parent that love you so much, that he made you hate him?"

Helen shook her head, "I only had my father, and he always loves me." She lowered her head.

"Oh, I am sorry!" Becca said, "You must still love your father very much, and you are still mourning him."

"Yes, I was very sad when he died." Helen didn't know why she started to open up, "He was so nice to me, and I would have given my life for him." She started sobbing, "But in the last moment, he betrayed me. He threw me to a beast, a monster…"

Becca embraced her in her arms, "I am so sorry you had gone through that. I wished I could have gone to the tower earlier, so you and your father would both be saved."

Helen shook her head, "It wouldn't matter. He would still betray me and be dead."

Becca realized her mistake, "Yeah, sorry I forgot. You were with your mother in the tower. Your father died long before you came here." She thought about it, then said, "Then you need to learn to forgive. You need to forgive the bad thing he did, and only remember the good things about him. Everyone has good and evil exist in his soul. If you still love your father, you have to learn to remember only the good things he did for you, and let go the bads."

Helen couldn't help crying, "It's hard. Every night I dream, I will see him lying there dead after he betrayed me. It's impossible to forget!"

Becca gently brushed her red hair, "The scar is very deep in you, but with time, you will forgive him. And you will have your peace. I know you can do it."

Helen looked at her with watery eyes, "So what should I do with the one who killed him? I have so much hate, but I am afraid…"

"Sh..." Becca put a finger on her lips, "You need to forgive him too. Hate and revenge will only cause more hate and revenge. It will be a vicious circle. Let me give you my own experience. My father was killed by the sky people. If I really want revenge, it's actually not hard. I can go to an island and ask someone to kill all the sky people, or anyone I choose, but I never want to do that."

"You don't want to avenge your father?" Helen had some anger in her eyes, "What kind of daughter are you?"

"I have to admit. I am not a good daughter." Becca had a long sigh, "Yet I love him all the same. The reason I cannot do any revenge, is that I still know what justice is. I know what he did. He killed a lot of people. He caused a lot of misery. So it's not in my conscience to punish the ones who just carried out a duty of justice. Do you understand?"

Helen's face was twisted. Tears dropped down from her eyes. She looked at Becca with strange and complicated emotions.

"Oh...Please don't cry, my dear." Becca wiped her tears gently. "Did I say something wrong? You looked so upset."

Helen just shook her head.

"I almost forgot your soup." Becca said with a smile, "I can smell it now. Hm… it must be very good!"

"Let me help you with that." Helen hurriedly got out of her arms and cupped her hands over the pot, only dropped it instantly. The ceramic pot smashed into pieces on the floor.

"Oh, I am so sorry." Helen said, "I forgot it was still hot."

"Let me help you with the cleaning." Becca got a cloth, "Maybe we can still save some of the meat?"

"No, no, it's fine. I will do the clean up." Helen put a hand on her, "Please, just let me do it."

"My God, Helen, you are like a real daughter I never had." Becca was happy. "I am so lucky to have you here."

"No, Becca, you are the one who saved me." Helen said it very seriously, "You gave me a new life. I will always remember that."

===#===#===

( I am sorry, but this is the last bonus. I swear. )

Under the morning sun, the endless blue ocean glittered with silvery rays. Mild wind gently blew through an old giant oil rig.

Amber caught a big sea trout, and she happily yelled, "Everyone come here! We have something for lunch."

Five little kids ran to her. They quickly fetch a hand net and scooped the poor fish in it.

"Yaaaa…" They were jumping up and down. "Sanch, sanch, sanch!"

"Calm down, boys and girls." Amber held the net tight. "Bring this to the heda, let her see it."

The biggest kid carefully took the net with the fish, and he ran two level down, followed by other kids.

In a large lounge, Chloe was speaking to a new member, "We FloKru will always welcome anyone as a new family member. We don't care what you did or who you were. Here everyone started a new life. There is only one rule that's unbreakable: no one will ever talk about war or revenge. If anyone wants to fight or take revenge on someone, he or she would be instantly banished. Nau Gonplei. Nau 'Jus Drein Jus Daun'. Yu Sen Mi in?"

The new member nodded.

The kids rushed in and showed her the net, "Ei em nir, heda?"

"Wow, what a big fish!" Chloe was delighted, "Take it to the kitchen, your grandpa will know what to do."

The kids cheerfully ran away.

Chloe spoke to the new member again, "It's your lucky day! Later we will have fish stew."

The new member smiled and asked, "Heda, how long have you been running this?"

Chloe took a look at a mirror, where she could see all her wrinkles and white hairs, "It's been too long. I couldn't remember."

"Are you happy here?" the member was curious, "The life here seems too primitive."

Chloe slowly looked around at the rusty interior, at the half-broken pipes, then back to a charcoal drawing by Mark, in which both of them were smiling at each other.

So she stated, "I couldn't have asked for more."

BOOK THREE END.

===#===#===

Thank you for reading the whole book! Book three is the last one of Becca's Tale, and I think the whole series ends nicely. Really appreciate your precious time reading this long novel! Wish you all the best in your life, and as always, **May We Meet Again!**


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